"How About "The No Bullsh*t News"?
Fighting Press Frauds with Facts" By John Armor
Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my General Interest ping list!. . .don't be shy.
Posted on 06/02/2004 9:13:14 AM PDT by Bob J
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 would 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.
About the Author: John Armor is a First Amendment lawyer and author who lives in the Blue Ridge. CongressmanBillybob@earthlink.net.
I'm pleased that you and your editor liked this article well enough to use it on the Free Republic Network. The concept is a long shot, but the more people who see it, the better the chances are of a successful response. (Though as you can tell from the opening paragraph, the principal audience is the entertainment moguls who reside in Hollywood, Malibu, etc. -- the few who are conservative, LOL.)
John / Billybob
"No Bullsh*t News"
I love it.
Perfect name.
Ok, I'm game...how do I get a gig?
Billy:
Love your idea! Have often yearned for more hard news stuff and eliminate the BS fluff way too much.
I'll send my check the first time I hear about!
Go fer' it!
Lightning
LOL!
Ask posters #1 and #2.
Love the concept -- go for it!
...The "No Bullshtt Zone", the "Bullshht stops here". How about "The Oh Really factor"???
I will also make a $contribution when your ready.
NBSN, it just sounds right.
...The "No Bullshtt Zone", the "Bullshht stops here". How about "The Oh Really factor"???
Perfect! "The BS Stops Here" LOL!
I am laughing... "The O'Really Factor."
I love this.
I want them to do it.
I will donate money.
Please ping your lists.
Russert does a good job? O'reilly does it better?
These assertions make me question everything in the article.
It's called "The Daily Show"
"How About "The No Bullsh*t News"?
Fighting Press Frauds with Facts" By John Armor
Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my General Interest ping list!. . .don't be shy.
BUMP!
Thanks for pinging your list.
How are you, what with the storms in Tx?
You bet!Well, they were pretty bad. There was a tornado in Arlington, about 30 miles from my place. We got some high winds and rain here, but I slept through it all ! LOL! : ^D
I hear we're in for another round possibly tonight. : ^O
Folks here were pinging you
and you SLEPT thru the storm!!!!!
Better stay awake tonight, if only
to answer your pings. :)
It'll be the end of the two party system if it succeeds lol.
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