Massless

It feels like I'm not hearing the truth from humans anymore, I'm hearing carefully crafted and sanitized PR from government/company/agency/media spokespeople. -J.Kottke

What does it do to the souls of TV producers, to package tragedy as entertainment, complete with slick graphics and catchy theme lines? What does it do to the souls of those who watch?
-J.Zeldman

Everybody's seeking and sharing. Here we're more motivated by the the need to know and the need to share than by the need to tell a finished story, or to embellish the prevailing one with more tendentious facts and opinions.
-Doc Searls

Dave: "Bill, you're jumping to conclusions."
Bill McNeil: "Dave, I stand still! The conclusions jump to me!"
-quote from "Newsradio" (TV)

I heard a snippet of conversation on NPR. Someone from a major news organization defending the practice of using correspondents in "jump-off" locations, which, for example. means relying on reporters from London to deliver news from Afghanistan. Sending reporters to Afghanistan (or having station bureaus) is too expensive, apparently. But they're spending a lot of money on bumpers, zoom graphics, and national entertainment coverage, aren't they?

Which makes me wonder... How trapped are FOX, CBS, ABC, NBC, MSNBC, and CNN by the desires of the populace? In fact, what exactly are the news desires of the populace? Doesn't the argument that Delivering Important International Information Means We Can't Pay Our Bills ring a little hollow?

It's just another form of "newbie hate." Presenting pertinent information so that people would want to listen or watch would likely involve some education of the public. And that means you can't just tell the current story, you'd have to put together pieces with historical scope. So, since the general public are newbies at understanding or reading international politics (and since they don't flock to the pieces which require more than entry-level understanding) we're going to assume that they would Never Be Interested.

Everyone is stating the need these days to become (quickly) educated on international affairs. I think we also need to emphasize our capacity, particularly on the Internet, as potential educators. If you know something, and you have a forum, please consider the newbie. Rising tide, and all that.

Now...for an news insider's humorous perspective. "Well, I had to kill the kids' hamster." For fun, go ahead and read the entire collection.