News media exists for one reason. Never forget that.

[uppityperson]

They exist to sell ad time, to get people to watch. They do this by providing entertainment as "nothing new to report, be patient and eventually we will find out" just doesn't sell that time.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

1. I respectfully disagree.

News broadcast media exists for the sole purpose of propaganda. They used to have to provide one hour a day of free news as a public service, in exchange for using the airwaves. When that was changed they became propaganda machines for the conservative agenda. We haven't had real news reporting for decades. The sale of ads is just the cover they are happy to hide behind.

[enough]

3. I think this is correct. It has changed in my lifetime. It used to be to sell ads;

now it is to disseminate the propaganda of the corporate/finance/political powers. This was predicted by acute observers before it happened, but the extent of the change has been more complete than I could have imagined.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

4. Sad, but true. n/t

[uppityperson]

7. Dual purpose, sell ads and tell us what they want us to see. Someone else will probably tell me

another reason they exist, which is fine as we all see things a bit differently from each other and sharing is good.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

8. I was born a skeptic..

age has only made me more so.

[uppityperson]

9. Me too.

[Richardo]

2. Which is why I watch all political events on C-Span

No commentators telling me what I'm hearing (and getting it wrong) - just the politician and his/her own words.

[1-Old-Man]

5. I'm with Richardo, if it didn't show on Cspan it didn't happen, but your point is well made.

[Angry Dragon]

6. clowns and puppets

[Cleita]

10. It used to exist to inform the public and was considered a profit loss.

Then someone changed a law back in the seventies. Don't remember the details, but then the newsrooms got put under the entertainment division of the networks, were required to make money and that was the beginning of the end. The great anchors, Walter Cronkite, Ed Murrow and finally Dan Rather were edged out of the ranks and replaced with perky personalities. News became tabloid worthy and here we are.

News shows used to follow a format. First you had global headlines, then the nation, then business and maybe entertainment and sports last. Then you had the local news, but today, it seems we start basically with the local headlines and entertainment. The only way I find to get global news is by watching Al Jazeera and the BBC. In order to get national news I have to cruise the internet.

It all sucks.