Change in media reporting

[Spud]

Personally I'm all for the cartoon version

[Adam L]

Personally I'm all for the cartoon version

LOL! SPUD, YOU MAGNIFICENT BASTARD! I LOVE THAT CARTOON! LOL!

Sorry, about that. I just watched Patton.

Adam L

[Entropy]

The big difference between WWII and today is that censorship is pretty much impossible today - or at least very, very difficult. In WWII there wasn't any independent media in the sense we think of it today to say nothing of all the varied ways of collecting and disseminating information.

And IMO we are still in a transition period. How long until CNN and Fox have their own UAV fleets to bring us live coverage of the latest battle, catastrophy or tragedy? Or their own imagery satellites? Or who knows what?

[Adam L]

And IMO we are still in a transition period. How long until CNN and Fox have their own UAV fleets to bring us live coverage of the latest battle, catastrophy or tragedy? Or their own imagery satellites? Or who knows what?

They could have it now if they wanted it. I just don't think profits would improve significantly enough to offset the expense. It would not surprise me if they wanted to bring TV journalism into a new era of voyeurism. Actually, I think we may already be there.

Adam L

[Schmedlap]

I don't even own a TV and, thus, I do not watch any of the cable news channels. I primarily get my news from the Financial Times and Wall Street Journal, though I also read feeds from several others sources via an RSS reader. It is amazing how much more refreshing life is when you do not have an infobabe telling you about some new crisis everyday (missing 10-year-old girl, jailed celebrity, skyrocketing ATM fees, hardships of choosing between a 42" plasma screen TV or health insurance, etc).

Sometimes I feel as though I am poorly informed because I miss out on Jack Cafferty reading email rants from "Bob in Ohio" or "Nancy in Seattle" about whatever lowest common denominator, populist load of crap that we're attempting to rile people up over today.

Just out of curiosity, is the Today show still classified as news? I saw a few minutes of it at my parent's house last week. There was no news reported, but there was an outdoor concert, fashion tips for the 4th of July, a new recipe for chicken, and some chit-chat with people who were screaming and holding signs while trying to get on camera outside of the studio.

[Adam L]

I don't even own a TV and, thus, I do not watch any of the cable news channels. I primarily get my news from the Financial Times and Wall Street Journal, though I also read feeds from several others sources via an RSS reader. It is amazing how much more refreshing life is when you do not have an infobabe telling you about some new crisis everyday (missing 10-year-old girl, jailed celebrity, skyrocketing ATM fees, hardships of choosing between a 42" plasma screen TV or health insurance, etc).

Sometimes I feel as though I am poorly informed because I miss out on Jack Cafferty reading email rants from "Bob in Ohio" or "Nancy in Seattle" about whatever lowest common denominator, populist load of crap that we're attempting to rile people up over today.

Just out of curiosity, is the Today show still classified as news? I saw a few minutes of it at my parent's house last week. There was no news reported, but there was an outdoor concert, fashion tips for the 4th of July, a new recipe for chicken, and some chit-chat with people who were screaming and holding signs while trying to get on camera outside of the studio.

Makes you wonder about the state of civilization doesn't it? Either that, or if we are living in a science fiction novel. Is it just me or does it seem like some of the sci-fi stories are turning into reality?

Adam L