MSNBC has reverted to the Missing White People network

The BBQ Pit
1

I should have known it wouldn’t last. After an all-too brief run of being a semi-serious news network, MSNBC seems to be backsliding. They now have a neverending loop of “missing white people” stories.

Damn it, why can’t we have a serious news network? Surely I wouldn’t be the only person watching?

Is it really necessary to sex up the news with lurid but decidedly LOCAL stories of murder and missing persons?

There will always be a missing white person somewhere.

2
  1. There are more white people in the US
  2. Hence, it is easier to find white people
  3. Hence, it is more cost effective to search for them
  4. People of other races are harder to find
  5. Hence one could say that they are more “missing” than white people
  6. Hence, the news media can’t find them to write about
3

Look at the calendar. It is almost August. August is the time of Chandra Levy stories.

But, MSNBC will be primarily Olympics coverage throughout August. Then, the conventions.

So, there may not be a missing white woman for 2008!

4

Now that’s a real shame, when folks go and throw away a perfectly good white boy.

5
  1. White people, as a group, also have the most money
  2. Therefore, it makes sense to program for them, so as to attract advertisers to the prized White demographic
  3. White people, as a group, tend not to give so much of a damn about non-White people disappearing (there are exceptions)
  4. Therefore, it makes less sense to show disappeared non-Whites on commercial tv

It’s pretty simple, really.

Apropos of nothing here, but that Casey Anthony is HOT. I obviously wouldn’t let her be the mother of my child, and she’s apparently also a pathological liar, but HOT don’t know from crazy. .

6

Unless they smile.

7

People keep confusing “news” with “broadcast programs that call themselves ‘news shows’” but they are really two different things. As others have said, its about ratings and dollar signs.

8

MSNBC devotes more than their fair share of programming about African-Americans. Just look at the hours of “inside prison” shows they air during late-night hours.

:rolleyes:

9

I never watch MSNBC but I must say I am surprised by your OP.

You say: “MSNBC has reverted to the Missing White People network”. Are you implying that they (and their sister-networks CNN and FOX) actually cover missing white MEN? Because that would be amazing to me. I thought these news-nugget frycooks only covered missing white people who also happen to be young, female, and probably attractive.

Huh… they have a far more nuanced news judgment than I gave them credit for.

10

I am glad. They doubled their range. it used to be missing white girl. (nearly always blond). It shows great improvement.

11

Greta Van Susteren and Nancy Grace have ben specializing in MWG coverage for years already. It’s not just MSNBC (although Greta seems to be branching out into Favre stalking lately as well).

12

Watchers seem to enjoy those stories and follow them avidly. It’s news, and people like it. I’d prefer that to sports “news”/trivia. How is that “news”?

13

Nancy Grace switched networks? :confused:

14

No, I just mentioned her and Greta to point out that CNN and Fox, respectively, are also in the MWG business.

15

Which means you can’t escape the shit.

16
  1. White people are just a joy to be around
  2. They smell like lemon juice and Pledge furniture cleaner

[cite beginning at :50]

17

You mean, like, at night?

18

At an impressionable age I first saw this photo from 1947 of the suicide of model Evelyn McHale, years before Missing white woman syndrome (MWWS) became a media staple, and could never shake the conviction that the underlying reaction to this is suposed to be:

“What a waste, I would have fucked her!”

19

Well, you see, the local news here is all about Dead Black People. So I guess it’s a balance, eh?

20

And the Washington Post recently finished a 13-part series on “Who Killed Chandra Levy?”

On the front page. Every day. For nearly two freakin’ weeks.

If I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t have believed it.