Did someone mention Maureen Dowd?
This is not Maureen Dowd
Posted on 03/06/2005 11:11:03 AM PST by baseball_fan
"...they are so much cheaper talk, but they are not interested in controversial truth."
Agree, with the corporate owners now requiring them to be profitable and meet the bottom line, they no longer are willing to subsidize a loss-leader foreign news operation just as domestic phone service no longer subsidizes long distance service. Getting at the hard facts is expensive. We have to have something in its place, however, or if we get hit again, we can't say we weren't warned, and we won't have Dan Rather to kick around either.
"Could it be that Sydney Bloomingidiot and George Steponallofus, plus other Clinton operatives, were exerting pressure to keep the lid on things so Slick could control events?"
My guess is there doesn't have to be a conspiratorial explanation: entertainment pays better than hard news gathering. The priorities had changed.
We wanna see more in-depth news coverage and 2hr prime time specials on Scott Peterson and Michael Jackson!! /sarc
They are lefties. In their opinion we deserve to be attacked. The fifth column. It's about time to start charging these kooks with treason.
"What passes as "national news" on the dying outlets is nothing but cheap content for some high priced advertising."
Agree with much here. However, the number of people watching the Evening News still dwarfs the Cable News and with it draws away the revenues needed to fund an international news gathering capability it would seem.
EVENING NEWS (Week of February 7, 2005)
Total Viewers Adults 25-54
ABC 10,150,000 2.8/10
NBC 10,210,000 2.7/10
CBS 7,520,000 2.1/7
Source: http://allyourtv.com/latestratings/index.php?cat=4
""The book's instant headlines will probably come from "60 Minutes" commentator Andy Rooney, who tells Fenton there is "no question" the media are liberal..."
While liberal bias is certainly a key indictment, that issue seems well in the cross-hairs now of other outlets like Fox New, Rush, The Weekly Standard, etc. Fenton seems to be making another point which he indicates we are in danger of being distracted from: inadequate foreign news intelligence gathering.
I prefer conspiracies to facts. :-) Besides, with the Clintons the chances are pretty good of being correct.
The MSM likes dictators and plays nice, nice with them.
Liberals waist so much time trying to blame everyone *except* those who attached us.
"They are lefties. In their opinion we deserve to be attacked. The fifth column."
Bush is doing a shake-up of the CIA for politicizing intelligence so he can rely on their reports going forward. Are there reforms and sufficient investment in foreign news intelligence gathering so stories such as the one on Bin Laden both get researched and don't wind up on the cutting room floor?
"Fenton is a darn good journalist."
It would be interesting if FoxNews could maybe hire Fenton with a commitment to expand international news coverage with more boots on the ground. They may already have that covered, however, and of course there has to be a mutual philosophical affinity there. The big question may be, "If there are not the ad dollars there to justify it, do we just do without?" That seems to be the daunting question, and one that is more than a little scary.
In the 90's after the Cold War the country wanted (collectively) a vacation from history. We had been fighting a Cold War for over 45 years and this was to be a time of respite. I remember the mantra about spending the "peace dividend" on domestic priorities like health care, etc.
The country wanted to take a break. This is why Seinfeld, a show about "nothing" could be so popular. Then the the top stories became OJ, Monica, Gary Condit (right before 9/11). Many of us wondered why these stories could remain hot for so long but the public demanded this kind of stuff as a way of hiding their heads in the sand (neat pun,huh, what with the Middle Eastern terrorists planning our demise).
There are too many networks now just like there are too many major airlines, too many banks, too many insurance companies, etc. Consolidation MUST occur in many industries. But the remaining media outlets then CAN make alot of money by doing a GOOD job of covering the news, wherever it is.
There is NO GREATER responsiblity for 911 save the TERRORISTS themselves, than X42!!
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