When did CNN Headline News become retarded?

[SwordoftheVistula]

I used to watch CNN Headline News some years back. It was hard news all the time, basically an ongoing coverage of major news headlines from the day, highlights from the Iraq War, Congressional acts, and so on.

I saw it for the first time in years this week at my new job, because it's the only channel that plays, and is in all the break rooms. It's now like the TV news channel in 'Idiocracy', only worse. It's just shrill people screaming about stuff that isn't even major news. In the past 4 days, at different times throughout the afternoon, evening, and night, I have seen different shrill personalities literally hyperventilating over the same two stories (a missing persons case in Michigan and a rape/murder in one of the Carolinas), aside from brief interludes of celebrity gossip (again the same couple stories day after day, Kim Kardashian used her debit card to do something unseemly, and a Kate somebody with a bunch of hispanic looking kids has had a couple of them kicked out of school).

I leave and come back 3 hours later, and it's the exact same shit, as if I never left, only (I think) a different host/anchor/whatever. I leave and come back the next day, still the same exact shit.

Even the news channel in Idiocracy at least covered real news. This channel is now just retarded news for retarded people.

WTF

[Breedingvariety]

They are putting TVs everywhere now. I think it's an accident.

[Psychonaut]

It's not just HLN either. It'd be really interesting to chart out when then shift occurred from cable news being information into it being infotainment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infotainment).

[Loki]

Agreed Sword, it put me off CNN a long time ago. Channels like RT seem way more factual on relevant news items.

[Fintorah]

Agreed Sword, it put me off CNN a long time ago. Channels like RT seem way more factual on relevant news items.

RT News/Al Jazeera are my two favorite newz sources :).

Al Jazeera seems to be the only channel that covers events that would, in a European context, seem catastrophic... such as the mass burning of Christian churches in Muslim countries like Indonesia. Even if a news outlet inherently has an agenda, it should at least have humility, something CNN seems to be lacking or in denial of.

[Electronic God-Man]

It's not just HLN either. It'd be really interesting to chart out when then shift occurred from cable news being information into it being infotainment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infotainment).

Are they trying to keep up with things like the Daily Show and the Colbert Report?

[Loki]

I think they're catering for the domestic audience. The international edition is better.

[Eldritch]

I think they're catering for the domestic audience. The international edition is better.

If I may expand the topic a bit into serious, at least fairly unbiased news sources in general, BBC World at least used to be good. I haven't really watched it for about a year now though. Deutsche Welle's English news are usually top notch.

[Austin]

CNN is dying in the U.S. to the two ideological news channels MSNBC and FOX.

This has happened thanks to the internet and the reality that the average person now gets their news from the internet as they are typing in something on a browser or search engine. The only people left watching political-news TV stations are the partisans. Evidently partisans have clearly shown ratings-wise that they much prefer to watch their ideological sides station rather than a bland-generalization station such as CNN. Hence the decline of CNN.

[Wölfin]

I didn't know Fauxnews was doing well.

[Austin]

I didn't know Fauxnews was doing well.


Fox news has more viewers every weeknight than all other news stations in the U.S. combined 3x. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/01/cable-news-ratings-top-30_3_n_790265.html#s195692

It is doing well you might say.

[Aemma]

It's not just HLN either. It'd be really interesting to chart out when then shift occurred from cable news being information into it being infotainment (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infotainment).

I seem to remember something of a dashing "Scud Stud" during the 1991 Gulf War, Canada's own Arthur Kent. A handsome man to be sure, but when serious journalists start being seen as eye candy and acquiring monickers such as "Scud Stud" you have to start to wonder.

Ironically enough Kent entered a legal battle with NBC brass regarding "the intrusion of entertainment values in news." (Source (http://www.skyscribe.com/Html/Arthur_bio.html))

EotJo7bpR04

[SwordoftheVistula]

Fox News is pretty decent these days. It used to have the nonstop 'missing persons' BS, I think they had nonstop coverage of Natalie Holloway, Elizabeth Smart, and Scott Peterson for at least a year each, but these days it's mostly serious news like discussions of major Congressional acts, the economy, and so on, even in-depth examinations of subjects such as George Soros' multinational scheming and the federal reserve, which would have never been seen on any news channel even a couple years ago. MSNBC's morning show has a good balance and large number & variety of commentators, though their evening shows are pretty ridiculous.


Al Jazeera seems to be the only channel that covers events that would, in a European context, seem catastrophic... such as the mass burning of Christian churches in Muslim countries like Indonesia.

Really? Honestly, I can't see why I should care, nor any other European. I can't even be bothered to pay much attention to reports of fires in my hometown, much less on the other side of the planet.

[Austin]

Fox News is pretty decent these days. It used to have the nonstop 'missing persons' BS, I think they had nonstop coverage of Natalie Holloway, Elizabeth Smart, and Scott Peterson for at least a year each, but these days it's mostly serious news like discussions of major Congressional acts, the economy, and so on, even in-depth examinations of subjects such as George Soros' multinational scheming and the federal reserve, which would have never been seen on any news channel even a couple years ago. MSNBC's morning show has a good balance and large number & variety of commentators, though their evening shows are pretty ridiculous.



Really? Honestly, I can't see why I should care, nor any other European. I can't even be bothered to pay much attention to reports of fires in my hometown, much less on the other side of the planet.

European news is not covered at all in American media. On an average week Europe will receive maybe 5 minutes of commentary if that on major networks with it being absent entirely on smaller, local ones. I suspect there is much reason for this behind the scenes. I do not believe it is a coincidence that we hear about what is happening in some hell-hole African country or some narco-state in South America over barely any European coverage at all.

It's clear American and European interests have decided it's best if Americans, through lack of even basic coverage of European domestic politics and players, near-forget entirely that there is actually another political entity in the West called Europe. Most Americans, due to literally almost 0.00% coverage, see Europe as this place where white people play soccer, taxes are high and there is an occasional royal wedding to read about in grocery store checkout lines and watch on CNN. That's about as far as Europe gets on the average Americans radar.

[SwordoftheVistula]

Possibly. I haven't watched any of that stuff in ages, so I don't really know. I hear European issues being discussed a fair amount on the AM talk radio shows, and get most of the rest of my news from the Drudge Report, which has links to stories from English language publications all across the world.

Also, mainstream news coverage of foreign countries is usually of spectacular natural disasters, and Europe doesn't have too many of those.

[Sol Invictus]

They are putting TVs everywhere now. I think it's an accident.

:dielaughing:

When has CNN Headlines become retarded?

That must be a trick question or something.

[SwordoftheVistula]

Well, you're probably too young to remember, but 10-15 years ago they actually had pretty decent coverage.

[Sol Invictus]

All mainstream news is like ice cream. It's yummy, makes you feel good and it comes in different flavours, but after it's been through your digestive tract on it's inevitable journey outwards, it just the same bullshit and if you eat enough of it, it'll makes you a fat disgusting slob and it'll rot your brain out.

These people aren't in the business to keep you informed. If that were the case we wouldn't have experienced half the shit we are now.

http://i53.tinypic.com/fdwq68.jpg