MickeyWhat's News, Pussycat?
While we expect the vast majority of TV to pander to the lowest common denominator (These days I expect most of TV to take a leadership position in driving said common denominator even lower), when we turn on the news we expect something different: Inspired, idealistic professionals striving to bring us the very best, latest, informative and unbiased information possible.
And that's what would happen in a perfect world. In the real world, the news is just another TV show. It's there to deliver pairs of eyes to watch the ads, and if the Program Director doesn't like the ratings, the Producer had better keep his resume up to date. Any random promo for your local newscast is likely to be an exercise in making mountains out of mole droppings. The police pulling over a suspect becomes an Exciting! High! Speed! Chase! A waste basket catches fire and the nearest employee puts it out with his soda can- but in the promos it will be a firestorm of apocalyptic proportions.
There are various pressures on the news industry beyond merely financial ones- but none of them are aimed at making the news any better. Far too many newsfolk are running scared of the dreaded "left-wing liberal bias" label, even though that particular label is sprayed around freely on anyone who isn't to the right of Ann Coulter. Pressure groups are always insisting on whitewashing reports of the crimes committed by the criminal fringes of their groups- and/or playing up any slightest offense against one of their own. And this time of year we even have to deal with the nits who have so much free time on their hands that they make a big noise over personal "attacks," even though the alleged offenses are that someone simply wished them a "Merry Christmas" or a "Happy Holidays."
And to avoid the dreaded accusation of being "too downbeat," drastic- even surreal- steps are taken to shoehorn in the lightheaded- ummm, I mean, light-hearted- human-interest padding. One case sticks out in memory, and while I can be a touch sarcastic when the occasion calls for it, i swear this actually happened:
It was late last century (I won't specify the station for legal reasons). I was watching the early news when they reported that the Sheriff's Office had notified them that a violent felon had escaped- he was thought to be armed, and known to be very violent and dangerous... and the crack news team would show us a picture of him on the 11:00pm newscast, six hours later. And so they cut from that downer story about a prison escapee and they go to an in-depth story about a cat in a tree.
Yes. A cat doing what cats have done for millions of years merited over a minute and a half of intensive camera coverage. The violent felon- well, tune in at 11:00, if you're still alive. The cat seemed to be wondering what all those camera people were doing down at the bottom of the tree (cats hate an audience when they're climbing DOWN- it's seldom their most graceful moment). All this was years ago, so by now the cat is already down (and likely back up and down the same tree quite a few times). In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if by now the cat was producing the local newscast.
And that's what would happen in a perfect world. In the real world, the news is just another TV show. It's there to deliver pairs of eyes to watch the ads, and if the Program Director doesn't like the ratings, the Producer had better keep his resume up to date. Any random promo for your local newscast is likely to be an exercise in making mountains out of mole droppings. The police pulling over a suspect becomes an Exciting! High! Speed! Chase! A waste basket catches fire and the nearest employee puts it out with his soda can- but in the promos it will be a firestorm of apocalyptic proportions.
There are various pressures on the news industry beyond merely financial ones- but none of them are aimed at making the news any better. Far too many newsfolk are running scared of the dreaded "left-wing liberal bias" label, even though that particular label is sprayed around freely on anyone who isn't to the right of Ann Coulter. Pressure groups are always insisting on whitewashing reports of the crimes committed by the criminal fringes of their groups- and/or playing up any slightest offense against one of their own. And this time of year we even have to deal with the nits who have so much free time on their hands that they make a big noise over personal "attacks," even though the alleged offenses are that someone simply wished them a "Merry Christmas" or a "Happy Holidays."
And to avoid the dreaded accusation of being "too downbeat," drastic- even surreal- steps are taken to shoehorn in the lightheaded- ummm, I mean, light-hearted- human-interest padding. One case sticks out in memory, and while I can be a touch sarcastic when the occasion calls for it, i swear this actually happened:
It was late last century (I won't specify the station for legal reasons). I was watching the early news when they reported that the Sheriff's Office had notified them that a violent felon had escaped- he was thought to be armed, and known to be very violent and dangerous... and the crack news team would show us a picture of him on the 11:00pm newscast, six hours later. And so they cut from that downer story about a prison escapee and they go to an in-depth story about a cat in a tree.
Yes. A cat doing what cats have done for millions of years merited over a minute and a half of intensive camera coverage. The violent felon- well, tune in at 11:00, if you're still alive. The cat seemed to be wondering what all those camera people were doing down at the bottom of the tree (cats hate an audience when they're climbing DOWN- it's seldom their most graceful moment). All this was years ago, so by now the cat is already down (and likely back up and down the same tree quite a few times). In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if by now the cat was producing the local newscast.
