The network half-hour “news” broadcasts have become nothing more than clickbait headlines with almost zero content. I realize that a half hour is not enough time to go deep on all topics, but perhaps if they would stop doing bits about Harry and Megan and the latest celebrity angst, they could expand on meaningful stories a bit. Instead, we’re deluged with dire warnings of bad weather with MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN DANGER! Well, they’ve lost this customer. CNN is a far better option for TV news, and of course there are more detailed accounts online. Color me disgruntled.
Makes sense, honestly I’m amazed you held out this long. Somewhere along the way the various News departments got folded under entertainment and they went to crap pretty quick I thought.
It becomes a habit like many things. We watch the local news, which segues into the national, so it’s just laziness.
We’re so far removed from the objective and in-depth news coverage of Walter Cronkite now that it is painful. It was a short golden age of news and we’re back to full on yellow journalism and fluff.
I remember Dan Rather, Peter Jennings, and Tom Brokaw. Compared to the people on today, those guys seemed like Adults Who Knew What They Were Doing. Yeah, it could be that I just remember my younger days with nostalgia, but I do think that there has been an actual decline.
In the days of Walter Cronkite, the evening network news was useful as the first time you would hear the information but now with CNN and smartphones, you can hear the news ahead of time.
It’s a staple of clickbait on abcnews dot com.
I can’t remember the last time I watched network news, or even a local news broadcast. Reading selected stories from online sources including national* and local news websites is more satisfying and useful.
*assuming you can access stories from network news websites. CNN and NBC in particular have started placing articles behind paywalls now.
True enough. If the clickbait “news” contained things of substance that would cause you to look online for more detail, it would at least be somewhat helpful. Instead, much of it is just glurge, showing the same footage over and over, and which is aired for shock value.
And note that this is history repeating itself; in earlier decades, people received morning and afternoon newspapers but then the evening news made the afternoon newspapers unnecessary
Agree with the OP. The “content” of most news broadcasts is less telling us what is going on with, ya know, facts 'n stuff, and more of behind-the-scenes producers and executives deciding what will be briefly talked about by the personalities in front of the camera. And many of those people behind the scenes are not beholden to strong journalism. For better mental health, dial-back watching this fluff.
I don’t read the local newspaper, either. The wife likes to have a paper, but the quality of reporting is rather poor. The Minneapolis paper is actually printed in Iowa by Gannet, so the articles are pretty much old hat by the time we see them. And if there is a bad snow storm, we just don’t get the issue for that day.
I totally agree. I still see some value in the local news broadcasts, but the only thing worth watching for national news is the PBS NewsHour.
The news segments I can’t stand (and the BBC is probably the best example of this) are the ones that take an interminable time to build up to the actual point.
For example, a story on a painting being stolen from a museum will begin, “Paris. A city of museums. Most residents think of their museums as secure. Security can be an illusion. What happens when an illusion comes apart? It’s unsettling. This morning two masked persons entered…” A two-minute segment becomes 30 seconds of actual news.
It’s the 60 Minutes syndrome. Every news correspondent thinks they’re destined for 60 Minutes (or some equivalent long-form show). I don’t want an essay or a human interest story if it’s actual news. I don’t want the birth pains, just give me the baby.
No offense to the OP, but I decided many years ago that any sort of TV news is essentially worthless. And not just because of declining quality…
I’m with Marshall McLuhan on this - the way we absorb information is just as important as the content. I think allowing TV to passively deliver information is qualitatively different than reading it. You’re taking what they’re giving you - their choices, their pacing. It’s much different when we read. That’s active, allows for pauses to reflect and cross-reference and is a completely different experience.
True, people can still read the news foolishly. And it takes some effort to consume news from good and diverse sources, though that’s do-able. I really believe if we as a group largely read our news rather than viewing it, the world would look very different.
With no exaggeration, I can say I’ve seen close to zero TV news in the last twenty or so years. The only time I break from that practice is for something that must be seen visually, like January 6, George Floyd or 9/11. And even then, I read for the details.
I still watch the local news, for weather, traffic, and sports. But they’ve really been pissing me off lately with all the inane fluff pieces.
Over the last month or so they’ve been increasingly featuring a local “reader”. She is a 22-year old psychic who comes on the program and does readings. This, on a news program. They treat it as if it is legitimate.
mmm
I’m actually sitting here with my mouth hanging open in disbelief.
Similarly, one of our local news broadcasts has increased the number of “Editorials” they are showing each week or so. It seems the news director wants to be in front of that camera more and talk about the same stuff her reporters have already covered. Trust me, honey, no one wants to hear what you have to say.
Even that is unnecessary. The weather app on my phone tells me what the meteorologist on the local news says and probably there are other apps for traffic and sports, though neither really is a concern for me.
Our local news on the NBC affiliate is actually pretty good. They do honest to goodness investigative reporting and were the first to expose the “Feed The Children” scam during covid that took millions of tax dollars for their own piggy banks.
Well, that’s funny, because I happen to have Mr. McLuhan right here…