F the MSM, they are sucking bigtime right this very second

[brettdale]

F*ck the mainsteam media, they are sucking bigtime, right this very second.

Both Faux and CNN have BREAKING NEWS BANNERS UP: RICE MAKES SUPRISE VISIT TO IRAQ.

They are going to run with this story for days, I bet.

[RoyGBiv]

1. The MSM sucks?

Really? :-)

I was in a restaurant earlier, and while in the bar I saw some Fox News ... first time in months. It was not appetite inducing, and I let them know it. Thankfully, they changed the channel.

But, before I did, I saw part of this segment on this recent operation the military did in Iraq near the Syrian border, the one the Pentagon itself even admitted recently didn't do much. The talking head was almost glowing about how we were taking out all the terrorists and spreading freedom.

Plurgh ... wasn't the best meal I ever ate either. I don't think I'll go back there.

[yorkiemommie1]

5. i'm boycotting Macy's because they have F--News

playing on screens in women's dept. after numerous complaints on my part and nonresponsiveness on theirs, ( they said they were just supplying the news and i asked why not the other channels also instead of having instructions on the screens that they must be tuned to fox and one other sports channel ). i cut up my cards and sent them to the president of Macy's.

[RoyGBiv]

6. Excellent!

Protesting against this sort of thing sorta has to be handled in a round-about manner for it to make much of an impact, such as not patronizing businesses that display channels like Fox and making sure those businesses know it. These companies make enormous sums of money from this sort of thing -- getting contracts from businesses to display their programming. If those businesses start losing customers because of what they show, they'll re-thinking making those contracts.

I've said this before elsewhere, and it may seem unrelated, but it isn't. If you want to affect the content of the news on cable, take aim at the sports stations like ESPN and FoxSports. Do NOT request them from your provider. Complain when they are added or, in the case of ESPN particularly, when new variations are added. Sports channels are the driving force behind the price of your television bill, and they're all in bed in one way or another with a news station. Usually, the contract requires the news station to be programmed along with the sports station. This was, in part, how Fox got to be where it is today.

[Journeyman]

2. Turn it off. Call your cable company, tell them you're switching. . .

to the Dish since the cable carrier's selection of newscasts is so piss poor. The cable newscasts can shrug and go on if individuals choose to not watch, but their shareholders will demand action when entire cable carriers start to drop them.

[RoyGBiv]

3. Small point ...

Dish carries the same "cable" news stations as the cable providers.

The only real difference is that their lowest package doesn't carry Fox (or MSNBC, i.e. Olberman), which is more a result of the contract they have with Fox regarding what they are charged and the competition they have with DirectTV, a Murdoch controlled company.

With the present state of the industry, too much inter-connectedness exists among MSM, Sports, and the network providers themselves for consumer complaints to have a great deal of impact unless those complaints go to the extent of a significant percentage of people dropping *all* forms of acquiring television service in protest.

[still_one]

4. then don't watch it

I haven't watched it since November

I am more informed and less frustrated

[Carolab]

7. I was in my area's "Government Services Bureau" getting a passport and

they had a TV in the "waiting area" (some uncomfortable chairs lined up in a row) that was tuned to CNN. What is up with that? I don't remember seeing a TV in a public area of a government office before.

[SeveneightyWhoa]

8. This very second?

I'd say, around the clock, second-by-second, by the minute, hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, forever!

You're really underestimating the problem. :)