April 12, 2004
Here in Chicago our local CBS affiliate radio station has been broadcasting some seriously pro-Bush items disguised as news. For example, this morning they broadcasted a story about a staffer at the White House who was answering e-mail about Ms. Rice and her testimony about 9-11. The story went on to tell how a staffer (who was dealing with the overwhelming amount of e-mails they were receiving) got an e-mail from a child who was complaining about nap time at school. The staffer sent the child an e-mail back say "We wish we had a nap time here every now and then". Is this news? The very next story was about gas prices and how it's "really not that bad of an increase in price" . I felt like I was listening to a Bush press release instead of the "news". Has anyone else noticed this happening with CBS stations where you live? Is this fallout from the Janet Jackson incident? I smell a rat. Do I need a tinfoil hat?
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Argh, this way, please. We won't hurt you, I promise.
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it's the weekend. generally stations run fluffier stuff for lack of harder news. that's probably it.
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Hard news takes a lot of effort and many people don't want to hear bad news. Most news outlets are commercial enterprises. That entails a bias towards entertainment, rather than investigation. Rocking the boat when your income depends on maintaining a bland, marketable homogeneity encourages fluff pieces. Bearers of news that rocks people's faith in their institutions face tremendous pressure. A gaggle of enraged movement types can make life hell for them. Speaking truth to power is only for the brave and/or financially secure.
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Not overtly as obvious an endorsement as say Airing ads promoting the medicare bill that Bush is using as part of his campaign. Then again they did pull it. Or did they?
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generally stations run fluffier stuff for lack of harder news. Yeah, when it's Sunday in Australia, apparently nothing except sport happens. Anywhere.
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not only in australia. i can hear a hockey game on the television from the next room. and he doesn't even like sports. everybody 'plays' on sundays, it seems.
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This may or may not be the case here, but the Medicare "news story" was an example of a Video News Release, quite the rage in PR these days.
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Plus, it was Easter weekend. Very little happened over the weekend, I suppose.
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Although my buddy Mel said some Jewish guy got killed and came back to life. I said: Dude, that sounds like a hollywood film!
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Looks like CBS won a Jefferson Muzzle Award. How appropriate.