Sunday, December 16, 2012

Newtown CT shootings 12-14-2012

I'm very opinionated. I watch way too much news, primarily FOX news channel and some FOX business channel. Neil Cavuto and Stuart Varney being my favorite broadcasters. I also like Charles Payne (I hope that is how you spell his last name). What I haven't liked is the constant reporting on what all news managers think must be reported on relentlessly. If the same things are said at 9, 10, 11, 12, etc. you get what I am saying is over reported. News, real news isn't about the killings in society. Check the local news any evening or night, crime is almost always the leading stories and killings are almost always the story of crime that leads. Is that really news? News should be about the things that affect us as a population for more than a few nights. News is about how our governments, at all levels, taking away our rights as citizens.

An example: A man or woman is accused of a sexual crime against a minor. A horrible thing that should really have more severe punishment than most get. But even that previous sentence says guilty before the person has been convicted. My point! My point is also that person in some jurisdictions is now on a sex offenders list even if all charges prove to be false.
So much sensationalizing of the news. There is one channel here in SLC whose first 10 minutes covers more stories than any channel in history, they are like an old CNN HLN on steroids. The weather men and ladies shout at you like the commercials used to do as far as volume is concerned.
News now reflects the corporate values of the stations owners. Most news and this includes FNC & FBN focus on the corporate values not the journalism of my youth.
The people who right the news that the on air "journalists" read are truly some of the biggest intellectual midgets of our time. If you disagree that's fine, but watch the ticker at the bottom of news casts and you will understand more of my view. You will also understand if you have watched the coverage of the last few days. The on air personalities try so hard to show compassion for the victims but spend more time talking about the killer than any other topic. They soften their voices, they talk a little slower, they try to look a little different but it is mostly a show, a performance. However, this shooting of so many innocent children I believe did affect some broadcasters' emotions.

Cudos to Mike Huckabee of FNCs the Mike Huckabee show. The former governor of Arkansas said it more elegantly Saturday night than anyone has put it in years and years of print and broadcast news. A short paraphrase: The government, COURTS, forced GOD out of the public square and that is why we are at this place in time with so much senseless carnage to so many innocent people. Thou shalt not kill was taken out of the public schools and today more than ever we need that principle put back in the public school system.

One last thing about news people. Bob Gibson (channel 2 news (I think) in SLC in the 50's & 60's) once editorialized about sayings and phrases. He said it is "daylight saving time." There is no savings of light! All you mental midgets in high salary jobs.

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