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The Effects of Cable News
It would appear that the pundits on cable news are just telling what they think is a good story: that the Republicans are controlling the stimulus debate and that public support for Democrats and the bill itself is plummeting. The Gallup poll just released tells us otherwise. That's the best news I've heard about the bill in quite some time.
Now, ask yourself: if the pundits on the cable news networks were not making claims like, "The public is getting a look at what is in this bill and they don't like it" what would the poll numbers look like? I'll wager that they would have been even better than they are now. Thanks cable news, you might be more interested in telling a good story than the truth but it looks like you aren't as influential as we thought. Get out of the way.
Now, ask yourself: if the pundits on the cable news networks were not making claims like, "The public is getting a look at what is in this bill and they don't like it" what would the poll numbers look like? I'll wager that they would have been even better than they are now. Thanks cable news, you might be more interested in telling a good story than the truth but it looks like you aren't as influential as we thought. Get out of the way.
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Cable news is an oxymoron.
So much noise. It's based on personal hypothesis, agendas and stirring the pot.
The issue that has become so apparent to me is how they promote negativity and seldom deliver any sense of balance.
Facts, if given credence at all, are most oft distorted and most of these people have little regard for 'middle America's status quo or circumstances'.
Tabloid 'reporting' is the majority of content on cable.
February 9, 2009 1:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hear hear!
February 9, 2009 1:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
How is it possible that a business specifically designed to feed the public news 24 hours a day can miss so thoroughly what's going on at any given moment?
The reasonable question for the public to ask is this;
Who is feeding cable news the news?
You hear Republicans tell one side of a story. Sometimes, you even hear Democrats tell the other side of a story.
Maybe these stations are so intent on getting both sides of a story that they fail to even get one side of it right.
If you want your kids to keep up with current events, tell them that the more they watch the news, the less informed they'll be.
February 9, 2009 1:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Your last sentence should be mantra or at very least posted everywhere, everyday.
Thanks.
February 9, 2009 2:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
You would think that the folks in the MSM would have pride in their work and profession.
Logically, that would translate into figuring out and reporting facts. Instead, we have to acknowledge the truth of tpmgary's last sentence.
February 9, 2009 5:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
If you remember the MSM talking heads gave McCain the victory in each debate. Public opinion polls proved them wrong in each case.
David Shuster recently had Deroy Murdoch on his show. Murdock was the "Muckraker of The Day" and questioned whether global warming was hogwash given the cold winter. Murdoch appeared without an opposing view or a counter by Shuster. This is what passes for information on cable shows.
On the economy, we get reporters debating reporters. There is no consistent presence of an economist to provide facts as best as they can be determined in the current situation.
Physicians have mortality and morbidity conferences to assess what and why things went wrong in a particular patient. Prescription errors are being reduced by electronic signatures and prescription writing along with real-time drug interaction and dosage warnings. Similar mechanisms are needed for MSM.
MSM has to come to grips with how little information they provide. I view MSM on cable just like I view pre-game football analysts. The talk is entertaining, but frequently completely wrong about the outcome of a given game.
MSM can do better. Give us experts in technical subjects like economics rather that infotainers (reporters).
February 9, 2009 5:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Anyone remember Chris Matthews saying that he would do anything to help this President succeed. Gaging by his coverage, by next week he will be calling for Obama's impeachment.
February 9, 2009 6:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Do you know what's in the bill? You've had time to read it.
February 10, 2009 7:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
I have not read it word for word (it may have been out for long enough but I have certainly NOT had time to read the whole thing, I work a lot of hours these days!) but I have looked at the breakdowns of where the money is going. I am upset about the cuts to investments in research.
Whether the bill is good or not wasn't really my point, though. My point is that one hears about public opinion in cable news but that the information is not correct. However, I believe that the inaccurate reporting itself has an effect on public opinion. That being the case, I think that such reporting is gravely irresponsible of them.
February 10, 2009 3:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just looks to me like it is intellectually dishonest to pass judgment on someone's opinion of a bill when you are ignorant of it's contents.
Sounds to me like the Koolaid syndrome.
February 10, 2009 4:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am not passing judgment of anyone's opinion. I am not passing judgment on the bill. This point is not specific to this bill. All I am saying is that cable news media is misrepresenting what public opinion is and that I believe that such reporting has an improper effect on the topic itself: public opinion.
February 10, 2009 5:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
I can recall no media outlet representing public opinion. I've always assumed that when media offered any opinion, it was their own.
And admittedly, they do it often and present it as news. But that's a freedom of the press issue.
It is one which will become more moot as the country is pushed further in the Marxist direction. This is happening with lightening speed with passage of the pork bill.
February 10, 2009 11:33 PM | Reply | Permalink