MSNBC-"The Place for Politics"-has non-stop coverage of NY shootings and about 1 min. of Obama

[jenmito]

at his town hall meeting in France which they cut away from. And they also showed only a couple minutes of his joint news conference with Sarkozy this morning and with Merkel this afternoon. :eyes:

[MadBadger]

1. I dont have an issue with them covering shootings like this the way they do.

I have an issue when its high speed chases, or Paris Hilton.

[jenmito]

4. I do. Especially when there's no new information and today was such a big day in politics.

It's lopsided.

[cali]

2. uh, maybe that's because 13 people tragically lost their lives in a horrific

mass shooting. It may be the place for politics, but c'mon.

[jenmito]

7. I know that but I don't think they need non-stop coverage when there's NO new information.

They're going to cover the press conference about it at 5pm. I don't see why they can't show ANYTHING about Obama's big day at all.

[annabanana]

9. It wouldn't be so aggravating if they spent less time on the gory details

and then expanded their coverage when they had enough information to contextualize the attack.
I mean, we've got the Where, and the When, the details on the Who are dribbling out.. but the important question, the "Why" isn't going to be evident for some time yet.

The value of news is how something relates to society at large, and the implications for the rest of us. All the rest is voyerism.

[LSparkle]

3. Didn't somebody (Jon Stewart?) make a joke about that once before?

Like, "I tuned into 'The Place for Politics' but what I
got was 'The Place for a Bridge that Collapsed'."

Glad I've been busy at work and unable to tune in -- I
know I should care about tragedies like what happened
today, but there IS other news happening, and what good
does it do to dwell on the fact that a nutjob went on
a rampage ... ?

[jenmito]

10. Yup...

he made fun of how they kept showing just a picture with the anchors saying they had no new information.

[madaboutharry]

5. I think the NY shootings is valid news.

From what I saw of MSNBC this morning, they were covering Pres. Obama until this story broke.

[jenmito]

8. It IS valid news but not to have constant coverage with no new info. CNN is doing

politics and said they'll show the press conference once it starts.

[annabanana]

11. I'm with you (see #9 above). . . .n/t

[jenmito]

15. Thanks. Yup, I read your post and agree with it. n/t

[madaboutharry]

14. I agree that if they are saying the same thing

over and over that they should move on to other news until they can report new information.

[jenmito]

17. They just keep reporting what they DON'T know yet along with the same facts over and over. n/t

[annabanana]

6. "If it bleeds, it leads"

The shooting is MUCH more exciting than all that boring commity and agreement over there.

I think it annoyed them to have to spend so much time showing the contrast of this Presidential trip to all the others of the previous 4 years. I mean, it was JUST SO OBVIOUS what an immense clusterfuck lord pissypants was.

[jenmito]

13. I agree. I switched to CNN which IS covering the Obamas' time in France

and other news about their time in France.

[Supersedeas]

16. whatever is easier -- the more superficial the coverage, the less work, the more focus

[wisteria]

12. Well, sometimes one story is more important than another.

Don't fret, you can catch all the Obama news later.

[Teaser]

18. It's just human nature

we will never, ever end this kind of coverage. It's cheap, it's easy, and people tune in.

[Vinca]

19. They'll drop the shooting story if a cute blond girl goes missing. nt

[jenmito]

23. Very true.

[elise11]

20. Coverage of the killings increases awareness of the need for gun control laws

Media Matters, for example, understandably complained that the media has been paying too little attention to gun related tragedies accross the nation.

http://mediamatters.org/columns/200903170006

[terisan]

21. In a democracy the lives of 13 people count. More important than politicians posturing.

[jenmito]

22. "Politicians posturing"? n/t