Registered: Jan 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 13002

I have recently come to the conclusion that 'rolling news' of the kind on 24 hour news channel is the worst thing to ever happen to the news media industry.

With the constant striving for ratings over substance, what was once the news has been replaced with little more than speculation layed upon assumption layered upon fear for much of the time.

Breaking the news first has become more important than the substance of the story. As a result, instead of actually giving out the news when a story is new, it is broken and then fuelled by speculation in order to 'fill time' whilst the facts are collated. The result of this is that often a story is broken and within hours it transpires that the reality of the story is nothing like the speculation that preceeded it. Yet, in large part the speculation is the formation of the news that the world tends to follow.

The desire to be 'first' has replaced the desire to be 'accurate from the outset' in most news room these days. Its a real shame.

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Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35656

I remember when the 24 hour news services all went over to 'wtc only' mode and it was, frankly, utter shite. Endless crap speculation, it was a fucking joke. I imagine that we'll be getting the same soon in Iraq.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Upstate NY
Posts: 10150

I wrote an email to Fox News Channels on this and related topics three days ago, decrying their form over substance. No response from them.

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Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35656

They probably all have the 'War on Iraq' stuff set up already. They won't want it to be over too quickly, but too long would be bad too. I guess that a three week war would be ideal for the News people.

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Registered: Mar 2003
Location: Here
Posts: 181

I feel it is a question of demand creating its own supply.

There is 24 hours news. Once upon a time it was amazing - we could get the news we wanted, the big breaking news, instantly.

I remember watching things like the bombing of iraq in 1991 on CNN and discussing how this meant the end for the nine o'clock news. (and the world, Saddam etc).

But none of it happened.

I want my news neatly packaged at 9 pm, but I also want to see the big, important breaking news right now and damn the reporter who is not giving it to me.

So I demand 24 hour news when I want it.

But someone has to fill the 24 hours when I don't want it.

And they have to fill it for someone who has either tuned in for the headlines, or been watching the story break for 8 hours.

How to handle that is the greatest problem with news reporting. Bias, substance and style all are subservient to having same delivery mechanism and different customer needs.

When the broadcast model of news is broken and replaced with a pull based model, we shall see greater depth of reporting, less bias (or rather more bias, you just wont choose to look at the bits you disagree with) and so on.

Untill then, its middle of the road. And the "important" stories that get hidden. Well thats just hidden cos you can't be sure the person who popped in for the headlines gives a damn enough to turn that story into a headline.

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Registered: Aug 2001
Location: Hilbert Space
Posts: 35656

Aha, a new person. Hello there.

Greater depth of reporting would be good, but I am not sure that there will be sufficient market for it to justify the expense of much of it, to be honest. I take it that by 'greater depth' you mean reporting on underlying reasons for events happening, and so on. I also don't see that greater depth can happen without the removal of bias; bias is something that thrives on shallow inspection of something, but doesn't flourish from deep roots, in my opinion.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Sedona, Arizona
Posts: 19110

Welcome lifeisgood. Nice perspective.

I also wrote FoxNews a while back complaining of the lack of substance, limiting interviews, and sensationalizing upcoming stories with a tabloid style lead-in. My example was two days of "Hiedi Fliess tells all!", She told Fox that she would never reveal her customer list when they finally aired her interview. (It isn't that I was interested in her story but it was a classic example).
They also have given no response.

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