Reply #2: Some answers [View All]

[Timmy5835]

Believe it or not these news operations, especially on the cable side, run on very tight budgets. The staffs are a lot smaller then in the glory days (60's, 70's, and 80's). Other then the news very little is scripted. Don't confuse that forced look with unprepared. These shows are LIVE, no rehearsals. Guests are shuttled in, do their bit and rolled out. You asked if some of the guests are paid? Some are. If they are called a CNN Analyst for example they are paid by CNN. Their is an old saying "Never let the facts get in the way of a good story". With the 24 hour news maul now out their, with the pressure to get it on fast and with news organizations now run by bean counters rather then journalists you're not going to get the quality you once did. Many problems with the biz are the bean counters look a costs over quality. They look at an editor who is a 15 year veteran and a editor with just 2 years experience and choose the one with 2 years experience because they are cheaper.

The bottomline, the MSM is nothing more then an entertainment show and should be treated as such. As someone who spent my career it those trenches, I morn.