CNN just doesn't get it

[quaoar]

This morning Andy Serwer reports on a new study about how shallow TV news -- and especially cable news -- is. The study cited one day last year in which all news of substance was overshadowed by the Michael Jackson trial. Andy and the O'Brien twins, Miles and Soledad, all made jokes about it.

And what was the first story CNN reported right after that?

The Case of the Wayward Whippet!!!

Somebody lost their dog in New York -- apparently a show dog -- and the owners have brought in some special $1,000 a day search dog to find it.

Yadda, yadda, yadda. It never ends, does it?

[Triana]

1. Trash TV

...tis another reason I abandoned cable in 2001. Waste of my $.

[quaoar]

2. Nah

The Sopranos alone makes HBO worth the cost, not to mention Deadwood.

[alcibiades_mystery]

3. I've had a few wayward whippets in my time

Crack the cracker, fill up the balloon, and suuuuuuuuck (wawawawawawawa). MMMMMM, whippets. ;-)

[mitchum]

7. BWAHAHAHAHA...

:)

When I was moving a few years ago, I not only found a few wayward whippets, but 7(!) crackers I had misplaced

[myrna minx]

4. Well CBS "news" spent about 5-10 minutes this morning

discussing the Sopranos. :eyes: The president of the USA is breaking the law, our ports are unsafe, and Americans are rapidly losing their civil liberties but oh dear, let's discuss the Sopranos. :eyes:

[quaoar]

6. But The Sopranos is a metaphor

for the Bush Crime Family. Omerta and all that.

[Brazenly Liberal]

5. Oh, they get it.

They get it just fine. They know their viewers and what they want to see. That's why you get a NASCAR reference every 15 minutes and why they gave the Swift Boat assholes more air time than any network but Faux.

They made their decision to go after the RW News Lite crowd some time ago and now they are catering to them. If it's sensationalistic or cutesy-poo, it's on CNN.

At least I assume that's the case. I boycott CNN and just assume they haven't improved any unless I hear otherwise.

[depakid]

8. Until responsible media regulation is put back in place

It's going to degrade even further. Like the rest of the far right, the corporate media has nothing in the way of constraints. They realize that they can say or do anything, including outright dishonesty- just like undisciplined children.

[Armstead]

9. I wouldn't mind the fluffy stuff it it were desert rather than the meal

I don't think there's anything wrong with fluff news. I worked at a newspaper that called them "cats and rats stories" and were considered an important part of the overall mix.

The real todayt is that they have moved from being a compliment to the real news to becoming a substitute for it. The networks invest so much time and resources into the fluff that there's very little left over for the nourshing part of the menu.

Just imagine of the resources and aittime devoted to Michael Jackson had been directed at actual news.

[MadMaddie]

10. This is true....but the I thought that the Whippet story showed...

a hugh problem with security of the cargo holds of the planes...the loading of luggage, crates etc....basic security issues..

Apparently one of the handlers opened the cage the dog was in and that is when the dog escaped...

Let's play what if....What if the baggage handler had an explosive device opened up a piece of luggage box, animal crate etc...It's been shown that the cargo holds are not as secure as the * cabal would lead us to believe!!

I am in agreement that most of CNN is for entertainment it is not about news anymore.....