Is The Television Media Irrelevant?

[kentuck]

For years, the media has been sliding into irrelevance, but with the advent of the "new media", their end may be nearer than any of them realize. With "bloggers" and "YouTube" videos, their reporting and their reporters are more and more behind the times. However, they continue to whistle past the graveyard.

They continue to maintain their Republican "sources" and they continue their old habits of criticizing everything the Democrats may attempt, while at the same time, putting the best face on everything the Republicans may attempt. One need look no further than their reporting on the disastrous fiasco in Iraq than to see where they are coming from. And with the recent landslide election by the Democrats, they slide right back into their old habits, even before the Democrats are sworn into office. We need only look at CNN 's headline today to see where most of the media is situated: "Is Pelosi Damaged Goods" they asked? Indeed, damaged goods...

[Kelly Rupert]

1. No. The majority of Americans still trust the mainstream media for news.

And as such, the media are incredibly relevant just by that alone.

Moreover, while blogs are useful as fact-checkers and as recipients of leaks, the media are still the center of the information universe. People have been predicting the demise of traditional media ever since the first BBS; this is no different.

[KoKo]

11. Sadly, I wish what you say wasn't true....but experience with "moderate

centrist" wing of family over TG seems to say that if they didn't see it on TV then it doesn't exist. And, some of them don't bother with cable so they don't get the political stuff of Matthews, Dobbs, Olberman and the rest discussing the "nitty gritty" of what's going on in the political trenches.

We here on the "internets" are more "clued in than most folks" and we forget the folk out there too busy or not interested enough to care about cable or getting news from internet blogs.

With less real news on the Networks and Cables the less informed they are about the kind of issues we argue and discuss out here daily since "Stolen Election 2000."

[pinto]

2. I don't know, but Michael Ware, CNN foreign correspondent is the real thing, imo.

A diamond in the fluff, perhaps, but CNN's support of his posting is worth a note.

[wundermaus]

3. Is the mainstream corporate owned mass media

Irrelevant?






yes...

[Kelly Rupert]

4. If the media were irrelevant, we wouldn't care about its bias.

[kentuck]

5. Judging from the last election results....

maybe a lot people do not care about their bias..?

[The Count]

6. It should be. less and less people trust it for news

[stillcool]

7. In my mind...Yes,,,

I think 'next' is already here, but some people do not welcome different ways of doing things. If they want to find, they will seek. The only time televised news is relevant to me is when it's breaking...weather related, traffic related, etc. Otherwise, it is easier for me to find out what I want to know, and who I trust to tell it...on the net.

[Barnaby]

8. To me, certainly,

and I suspect, to a lot of my fellow internet junkies. I NEVER watch and I used to have CNN Headline on at all times.

Still, I know many people who have the tube as their only source. It's still THE major influence on opinions, I would think.

[Doctor_J]

9. All the corporate media are irrelevant

The few people who pay attention are learning nothing. They tune in for one of two reasons - to hear what they want (wingers who watch Fox or listen to hate radio), or to find things to complain about (everyone else).

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

10. I did an informal survey at work a while back

I'm the only computer savvy person at work-so I asked the guys (and yes, they are all men) if they watched TV news or news on the radio. I got a resounding no from all of them. One is a sports nut and only watches games; the other listens to country music all day long. The way they have cable TV and radio nowadays, you don't have to go to a lot of trouble to ignore the news entirely.