Posted on 05/23/2004 9:29:50 AM PDT by Congressman Billybob
These columns now appear in print in the Canyon News, 20,000 copies weekly in Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Malibu and 12 other L.A. communities. A high proportion of those folks could readily turn "The No Bullsh*t News" into reality.
Consider the Sunday news programs. Reporters pretend to ask relevant questions; politicians pretend to answer them. The reporters throw softballs to guests they agree with, or goad political opponents into making unfortunate statements. A minor slip of the tongue gets play if it fits a headline. Who takes these frauds seriously?
Guests try to avoid "committing news in a public place." The punishment for that is losing the next election. The press also fear "committing news." If they scare away potential guests, they’ll lose their next election, measured in ratings points. A few TV moderators attempt to conduct serious interviews. Consider two: Tim Russert on "Meet the Press," and Bill O'Reilly on "The O'Reilly Factor."
Except when his own biases get in the way, Russert does a good job. But his show is successful and attracts top-drawer guests -- talk-show veterans least likely to inadvertently say anything of substance. O'Reilly does a better job, and has more ordinary guests who haven't learned those obscurity skills.
But O'Reilly restricts himself. He’s a cottage industry on TV, radio, and in print. He’s in entertainment first, not news. How else to explain his interview with September Harness, an Indiana University co-ed who’s marketing provocative photos of herself on the Internet without objection from the University? Of course, photos of the unclad Miss Harness (suitably obscured) were broadcast in the story. Entertainment? Yes. But news? No.
Top-notch Internet research can easily establish when a statement by a public official, reporter, or network is inaccurate. One of last week’s lead stories was the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib. Repeatedly, both guests and reporters made false statements about the Geneva Conventions, and about military trials. The guests had axes to grind. The reporters were afraid to ask challenging questions, or hadn’t done their homework, or were deliberately peddling false claims. News was avoided; fraud was perpetrated.
Squeeze out the fluff, add hard facts. Enter "The No Bullsh*t News," suggested by an able colleague. It has three rules.
1. No “cotton-candy” news; filling time with content is not the same as telling the plain, unvarnished truth. Regular TV news wastes 90% of its time on guests who say nothing. We’ll invite retiring Georgia Senator Zell Miller, former New York Mayor Ed Koch, folks like that. The same rule applies to hosts. Only folks who’ll tell the truth and let the chips fall where they may, are welcome.
Ordinary politicians will appear in video clips, thoroughly scrutinized, with humor when deserved.
2. The No BS News will be Internet-driven. Primary and secondary subjects for each week will be chosen on its website, with controls to avoid ballot stuffing.
3. This program will be independent. Networks have restrictions. ABCCBSNBC have lost half their viewers in the last decade, because more and more people distrust them. The big winner is Fox News, but they’re still entertainment-driven. Consider their female anchors: young, pretty, and wearing enough lip gloss to confuse low-flying aircraft.
The No BS News will be pure news. Low-budget, unique, building its own audience largely by word of mouth. Advertisers who agree with this approach will be sought.
How will this show be broadcast? On the Net. More and more Americans have broadband to handle live TV. It would also be provided on satellite for cable systems.
An intelligent, refreshing news program can be done in Joe Friday style, “Just the facts, ma’am.” If you’re interested, let's do lunch.
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About the Author: John Armor is a First Amendment lawyer and author who lives in the Blue Ridge. CongressmanBillybob@earthlink.net.
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John / Billybob
The first guest should be Inhofe. The guy has more integrity in his little finger than the entire senate put together.
Moderate the discussion - I'm so tired of watching serious discussions devolve into a shouting match. Usually its the Left that does this, to waste time b/c they can't address the issue.
Moderators should have more control over the microphone, and not be afraid to shut it off when one side tries to play that game.
Streaming can become an expensive venture. Several alternatives exist. One is 'on demand' video or audio. Several internet 'provider sources' exist for whatever the venue is.
Such a venture would take planning and financial backing. A clear plan could avoid such a venture becoming another 'Air America.'
Sounds like a good idea.
The "best" Americans who could appear on this factual news program would be the thousands of unknown, small town, America Loving citizens, most of whom are involved as leaders in their local government. They will speak for "We The People", not for their next elected office.
Keep the female anchors. Other than that, sounds good.
Free Traficante!!. I still say he was RR'd for just speaking the truth!!
Google paltalk and can get an idea. This type of software has not even begun to be realized yet, except as chatt rooms.
I'd love to be a researcher for such an enterprise.
The detailed research that routinely appears on FreeRepublic pursuaded me that this CAN be done. Of course, it is relatively easy to perform at a higher level than the lamestream media who are crippled by the twin defects of political bigotry and professional incompetence.
Cordially,
John / Billybob
John / Billybob
John / Billybob
You are absolutely correct about shouting matches. It's almost like watching a wrestling show. Even if the discussion is civil, the moderators will hardly challenge any outrageous statement by one side.
The No Bullsh*t News will be different. One of the boldest ideas will be that it will take a position on fact and expose fiction thru the best journalistic and scientific principles. It will do so thru quality research. Additionally, it will have a website with a history of its findings.
Your concerns as to the type of discussions that you see is attributable to the type of guests that are on the shows. As noted in Rule 1, we will not have on spin doctors or people who spout garbage.
The competent way to plan is that the enterprise will earn zero money in its first six months. That way, the effort will not be strangled in its financial crib, like Air America.
Also, one has to begin with a realistic definition of one's potential audience. To my view, this is aimed at poliitical junkies, who amount to about 1% of the total TV audience. But keeping the budget under control will allow success with that standard.
John / Billybob
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In the Army, Ignorance Is No Excuse
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