News?

For the past few months I have not been watching much of the 24-hour news channels. I used to just leave the TV on MSNBC or CNN while I was working and try to keep an eye on what was going on. But lately I have been looking elsewhere for my news.

Right now MSNBC is televising a Bush campaign speech in Wilkes-Barre and over each shoulder there is a sign reading "A SAFER AMERICA / A STRONGER ECONOMY". The crowd is chanting, "Four more years! Four more years!" Is this news?

Last night after the debate I saw Ken Mehlman on one channel and Joe Lockhart on another. What possible analysis could they give? This morning they have the candidates' daughters on their news programs and asking for their reactions to the debate.

Last week on 60 Minutes Andy Rooney suggested that CBS broadcast a one-hour news program every night as a public service:

Turn our Evening News With Dan Rather into a one-hour broadcast seven nights a week. Provide it as a public service in exchange for the license that CBS has to make hundreds of millions of dollars from the entertainment shows that Les Moonves puts on. -- Andy Rooney

That would be a great start. I would take it a step further and make the CBS news division completely independant. Make Viacom put a set amount of their operating budget into news but give them no control over the news division. Heck, tax anyone that uses the public airwaves for commercial purposes and fund a BBC-like news organization. I think that Viacom, Disney, GE, Murdoch and the others forget that they don't actually own the airwaves.

Anyhow, I downloaded the BBC desktop alert and now the little box pops up and plays that BBC sound and I know if there is anything important going on. Otherwise I try to catch All Things Considered on the radio, Democracy Now! on FSTV, and several news sources through their RSS feed online.

I know that Dubya wants to go around "the filter" to get his message directly to the people, but sometimes a filter is good. Fact checking is good. Questioning the government is good. Pointing a camera at something and televising it does not make it news.