If the News Were Awesome Once More

Unfortunately I am prone to the same thing that Mr. Stephen Fry warns about, complaining that the past was better than today. I try not to but sometimes these thoughts burrow under the fences and make their way out like Steve McQueen.

On that note I present to you the news. It turns out the news today is ridiculous. I'm of the mind that a shot of the bird that has made its nest on top of your news building, while mildly entertaining, is not actually news. News today is used as an entertainment device in order to make money. In the 50's and 60's it was quite the opposite. They believed that the channels were borrowing the airwaves from the American people in order to air their programming, and as such owed them a half an hour of news everyday. With this mindset they set about making news as a public service and with only a half an hour to work with they made sure it was good, hard hitting, and relevant.

True some news is hard hitting and relevant today but its all padded with fluff. I mean I love Rachel Maddow and Brian Williams but seriously its gotten out of hand. The thing is watching the news today feels like a chore for me. Its wading through garbage for little nuggets and the worst part of it all is how they tease the news. They continue to preview their stories without actually saying anything like leading you on and trying to make you watch their show up until the very end. The thing is though, we can just go on the internet and get this information instantly.

So I feel like if the news people don't get their rears in gear as it were, they are going to be left behind. My solution to this problem? Go back to the old way of doing things. And this applies to newspapers as well. I mean true, there is something to the tactile nature of the newspaper but really its a 75% stuff I don't care about and I can't find the 25% I do care about because its so burried. And again it comes down to the internet and having quick access to the important stories. Radio and television are going down this path too unfortunately. What with tv shows on dvd commercial free and radio stations becoming 70% (arbitrary number) commercials it all just seems so outdated. Anyway I'll stop complaining now and do something productive. Like laundry. Or stare at Brian Williams wonderful smile for a bit...

PS. did you know Walter Cronkite is still alive?!