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| --Tech & Moderator Notes |
| Watching the News Last Night |
| 2016-10-19 |
| by Steve White I was in a situation this past evening where I had to cool my heels at the hospital. As a physician you would think that that is a normal situation for me, except it wasn't my hospital. A family member had surgery, so I spent time in the surgery waiting area, just comforting family and being my usual self. Well, perhaps better behaved. Because of this I had to watch TV. Much like an airport lounge, the waiting area had several televisions going, competing with each other in volume and generating the sort of cacophony that makes it hard to read a book or just think quietly. This was the "evening news hour", and CNN, ABC and CBS had their standard network broadcasts going. Oh my. For both ABC and CBS it was just about the entire first ten minutes on the national election. Fine, that is coming up so it's going to be a topic of conversation. CNN had segments as well as part of their 'headline' news. Now I'm not naïve. I've been reading about the media bias in this election. I understand that the MSM is "all in" for Hillary. But it's one thing to know that, it's another thing to watch it in action. The key word, I think, is relentless. Each and every segment was anti-Trump. The visuals served to make Trump look old and dark. The tone was menacing. The talking heads were pondering, nasty, and condemning. The news anchors kept up the tone, staging questions that were meant to give the talking heads another reason to bash Trump. The theme was the entire anti-woman, racist, anti-woman, nasty, anti-woman, inexperienced, anti-woman, and double-dealing, and did I mention anti-woman? Through all this, there was little said about Hillary. ABC, near the end, noted that she was "taking time off to prepare for the last debate" (those hardware upgrades take a couple days, I'm told). That about it. Again, I understand that the networks aren't going to mention her health, Benghazi, email servers, the Foundation, her canoodling with foreign thugs, and her money-grubbing. But there was nothing of substance: it was as if someone at the campaign (perhaps Podesta) who decided that the best plan was to disappear Hillary for the next couple weeks. And that's just what the networks did. I watched as the media pummeled McCain and then Romney. I've watched the spite directed against every Republican in the election, and how each is rehabilitated four years later to be used as a cudgel against the next Republican. So cheer up, Donald: in four years the MSM will respect you again. Oh, and one more thing. I'm well and truly done with the MSM. I'm not even sure I'll continue to watch football on their networks. But I sure will not patronize their news, their prime-time, their shows, and their ads. As the saying goes, you can't pee on my back and then tell me it's raining. Goodbye MSM. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #10 Spent 6 weeks out of the country this year (having fun mostly. When I needed a news fix, I would pull up the "International Whatever"... Didn't matter if I was in Tokyo, Bangkok, Dubai or Prague- the daily papers included at least 3 negative articles referencing Trump if not about his antics exclusively. The Bengazi Beast was always, ALWAYS positioned in a better light, even if the story line was negative. |
| Posted by: Capsu78 2016-10-19 16:59 |
| #9 Right there with ya Abu with a glass of Glen. You too, Steve, had to do something like that recently. When the Golf Channel and Weather Channel, Weather Underground, natch, are running hit pieces, it isn't just relentless, it is embarrassing. Seriously, the other day there was a Jeopardy! question concerning 2016 presidential politics? I ended up getting a book read and having some great conversation with some others in waiting. I say this with utmost conviction: I would rather watch Little People: Atlanta than entertainment news. The acting is better and story more believable. So ya, we have a tv subscription, but it is not being used very much at all. Even the morning local news - done. Five KS Supreme Court Judges are up for affirmation. The KSSC overturned a death penalty conviction on two guys who raped five gals for three hours, took them out to the country, shot them in the back of the head, then ran over them. One gal survived, got help. Ruling overturned. On the news: Governor Brownback doesn't have a budget yet! Cue commercial - this is why we must retain these five judges. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2016-10-19 15:02 |
| #8 Keep looking Doc and Dave D. Rachel Ray... That is all Unless you are in a happy hold at 20k feet, then the Jewelry channel. Trust me, it'll freak you right out. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2016-10-19 14:59 |
| #7 Yet another sign of the deepening divide that will not end well for us. Traditional America is fracturing against post American globalism that hates it but wants what is left of the benefits it created. Immigration and diversity have swamped the ship of state. |
| Posted by: NoMoreBS 2016-10-19 12:10 |
| #6 Those cable bills are expensive too. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2016-10-19 10:36 |
| #5 But in a broader media sense including more than just the news, I remember a time, maybe because I was younger and didn't know any better, when I could watch TV and go to the movies without the fear that some Hollywood type was going to stick some Democrat propaganda into the script...when I wasn't disappointed and offended every time some star I admired came out with a quote about how sexist and racist I am...how deplorable I am...how Christian I am. There are a growing number of Hollywood actors, directors and producers whose work I can no longer appreciate because they can't keep their mouths shut about their deranged opinions. It's kinda sad. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2016-10-19 10:34 |
| #4 Dave: agreed, and I don't watch the stuff unless it's foisted on me. That why at airports I'm always looking for the seat in the departure area that's farthest from the TVs. My TV viewing the last few years has been football, occasionally soccer, and that's it. I'm not even watching the Cubs. I'd love to cut the cable but my dearest wife must have her HGTV and the MiL must have her Golf Channel. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2016-10-19 10:27 |
| #3 Poor guy. Stuck in a hospital waiting room so you couldn't even take your drink out onto the patio like I do when Mrs. Uluque insists on watching this crap. I feel your pain. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2016-10-19 10:24 |
| #2 "I'm well and truly done with the MSM. I'm not even sure I'll continue to watch football on their networks. But I sure will not patronize their news, their prime-time, their shows, and their ads. As the saying goes, you can't pee on my back and then tell me it's raining." What took you so long? I gave up on broadcast network news and their prime time crap back when Taxi was in its first season, and only watched Fox News during the 2000 and 2004 election coverage. I haven't watched any TV news since then; it's all junk. |
| Posted by: Dave D. 2016-10-19 09:44 |
| #1 This was the "evening news hour", and CNN, ABC and CBS had their standard network broadcasts going. You might tell the hospital that they only need one TV on to cut down the cacophonous din since they all have the same message and Dem. talking points. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2016-10-19 07:25 |