Shouting News (was:Re: West Warwick Fire - yellow journalism)

[Larry Weil <kc1ih@mac.com>]

At 04:38 PM 2/21/03 -0500, Aaron Read wrote:

>The local news updates have been heavier on the body count listings, but 
>the national news break has been keeping a running count, too.
>
>Man, if NPR is this sensational I can only shudder to think how bad Fox 
>news is...

Notice that I changed the topic here to go off on a tangent:

On Tuesday I was stuck in Charlotte, NC because of a cancelled 
flight.  What I noticed was that CNN was playing all over the place, both 
in the lobby of the Best Western where I had stayed overnight, and 
seemingly in every bar and restaurant in the airport, where I spent nearly 
12 hours.  I'm not sure if I was seeing the regular CNN or the CNN Airport 
Network (yes, there is such a thing), but every time I saw it someone was 
shouting the name "Saddam Hussein".  It's like they had a mandate to never 
talk in a normal voice, and to repeat that one name at least once every 
thirty seconds.

It seems like competition with Fox News has forced CNN to become just as 
bad or worse.  Now I realize why I never watch CNN at home any more.

In contrast, I got to see some of the local Charlotte 11 PM newscasts on 
Monday night in the hotel, and I was rather impressed with the 
quality.  For the most part, I watched WBTV-3, the CBS affiliate.

Also noted in Charlotte, like WTOP in Washington, WBT has a simulcast on a 
suburban FM.  WBT-FM on 99.3 could be heard in much of the airport on a 
walkman, as could the jazz station on 88.9 from Rock Hill, SC.

--
Larry Weil
Lake Wobegone, NH