Too much "news" is dangerous...

[kentuck]

With the 24-hour news stations on point to give us breaking news any minute of the day, one would think we would be the best-informed nation on earth. Unfortunately, we have become just the opposite.

It is human nature to be attracted to human-interest stories and rumors of celebrities and well-known politicians. If you don't believe it, just look at the posts that get the most attention here on DU. Thought-provoking, interesting, and important information usually sinks rather quickly.

The same formula seems to apply to our national media also. The reason they have stories about kidnappings and missing white girls and murders by celebrities is because that is what interests most people. That is what drives up the ratings.

However, that is not "news" that is beneficial to us as individuals or as a nation. They do not have time to tell us what went on with Scooter Libby, Karl Rove, and the rest of the criminals in the White House. They only have time to discuss whether they plead guilty or innocent and whether they will be attacked by their opponents, so they will have quotes and action shots for their daily gabfest on television.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

1. I personally feel

that 24 hours news is the worst thing to happen to this country.

I'm fine with C-span, but not the others.

[Strawman]

2. Becuase it's all episodic and devoid of context

Studies have shown that thematic as opposed to episodic coverage of events leads viewers to find systemic, societal causes for the bad things they see on the news. If events are covered episodically with no context, viewers assign responsibility to the individuals in the story for the bad things that happen to them in each of their isolated cases. (google Shanto Iyengar)

In a way this episodic coverage has rpimed the country for the Republican philosophy of blaming the victims and trumpeting so called "personal responsibility."