Monday, September 12, 2005
Enhancing Reality
DRUDGE REPORT FLASH 2005�: "'The TV news networks, which only a few months ago were piously suppressing emotional fireworks by their pundits, are now piously encouraging their news anchors to break out of the emotional straitjackets and express outrage. A Los Angeles Times colleague of mine, appearing on CNN last week to talk about Katrina, was told by a producer to 'get angry.''"
It is one thing to hear about "reality TV" being less than real, but news networks requesting anger and deeper emotion is weird. I would say that of any network that behaved this way. Maybe it is for the occasional CNN viewer who flips back to MSNBC or Fox an obvious problem. CNN's ratings show some disconnect between their deep desire for eyeballs and their ability to reach hearts and minds.
It is one thing to hear about "reality TV" being less than real, but news networks requesting anger and deeper emotion is weird. I would say that of any network that behaved this way. Maybe it is for the occasional CNN viewer who flips back to MSNBC or Fox an obvious problem. CNN's ratings show some disconnect between their deep desire for eyeballs and their ability to reach hearts and minds.
