There is a pretty interesting story in the S-T today, page A-3, and no it doesn't have to do with Romney putting his foot in his mouth. That one should be on the entertainment page. You got to wonder just how much prep. work anyone puts in. I mean it doesn't take a herculean effort to learn a few no nos when on a "foreign" tour. Remember Ms. Manners, you don't embarrass your host.
Anyway, I actually speak of the "news war" article. Fox News vs. MSNBC. It details somewhat the split in the political slant of viewers of the two cable networks most commonly associated with the right and the left. A very fair designation for those two cable stations.
Let's face it, claims of impartiality and high news reporting standards aside, the middle isn't a place either news outlet travels to with any frequency.
The articles discusses the political slant of viewers in percentages. There aren't any surprises in it. A higher percentage for Dems watching MSNBC and higher percentage of GOPs watching Fox News. CNN is thrown into the mix. CNN is considered the "middle ground" news channel in many circles. Debatable but, that's what it is considered.
The other significant point in the article is the fact that it is roughly a little more than 3 million Americans tune in each day to cable stations for news. This is significant for a couple of reasons. The first is that is about only 1% of the total population.
More significant is the fact that it is the only reference to true numbers. In actual people watching the channels, something somehow missing from the article, Fox News is constantly the most watch channel throughout the day. By a large margin, and at times close to and exceeding the combined viewership of the other two.
CNN is in more homes by at that same 3 million than Fox News, which is about in 3 million more homes than MSNBC.
The potential viewers doesn't come close to explaining the differences in actual viewers. I am not going to go into numbers, i.e. how many are watching what and when. TV by the numbers is a great sight if you want the nitty gritty.
What makes the newspaper story interesting is that when you take it a bit further, it seems there is a definite preference by those who actually view. The thought process is seeing a definite shift.
I have no personal favorite. I am a channel surfer when it comes to news shows. I think it is mainly because the slant on the various shows on the cable channels can be too hard to watch. It at times gets sickening.
I am old enough to remember Huntley and Brinkley and Walter Cronkite. I remember news stories being reported and the editorials being saved for the end of the show. I think I suffer from the heartbreak of Nostalgia.
I suppose in an age of 24/7 broadcasting, the sideshows are a must for the ratings draw.
Speaking of ratings draw ...
Seen and heard a few little tidbits all ready about next April's election. Yes all ready. Been asked too many questions about it, yes all ready.
Nothing much worth mentioning, except the fact is people are all ready mentioning it. Relax folks. Take the summer off for this one.
Do yourself a favor politically and lay low until the dusts settles on a couple of the hot button issues. If your serious, mid-October is the time to gear up.
Anyway, that's it for today. Not much I know, but the "serious" stuff is still being debated internally.
My editorial staff is still divided on a couple of pieces. Me personally, I am leaning one way, The other two, myself and I, well they seem to be a great odds over the type of ending for the proposed fractured fairy tale.
Whether people are getting news (information) from the television, papers, or internet, might have something to do with what they need to hear to feel security, comfort, or hope in their lives. Although I have a few favorite news sources, I don't put all of my confidence in any one of them. I do think that our government has the ability to control economic activity just by getting certain stories, true, or not-entirely-true into the press. It is when we all shift to respond to these stories, that we have done just what they wanted.
ReplyDeleteReferring to the 3 million people tuning in, being only 1% of the total population, look what happens during SO many elections. How come so few registered voters come out to vote? Are they, as the joke goes, too lazy to get off the couch? Or do they really have no interest in what happens to 'their' country? I can't help wonder if many of them feel inadequate to cast a vote because they feel uninformed. It certainly takes work to be truthfully informed, even in this age of technology.