UK Mainstream Media.

This is something I've really felt strong about for a number of years
and it certainly doesn't seem to be getting any better.
For many in the UK, the TV news channels are or fall into these categories,
BBC News, Sky News, CNN and possibly ITN News... I may have missed
someone out, but I feel that these are the vanguard of our television
news network.

These days the BBC News tend to mainly report about what the British
Government are up to, the 'Westminster Village' seems to be the most
important area to locate news that they deem the public would like to
know about.
Other news items are shorter and usually come down to the presenter
asking a fellow journalist for their point of view.

Sky News is a little more 'gung-ho' they lead with a more 'get in there
and get 'em' attitude. They're quick and flippant to show where the blame
lies and make no effort to hide their disdain for the any failings in the
British Government.

ITN News just sensationalises news, they imply more than inform and
make their news slot, certainly the early evening slot, a place where it
seems they've got their finger on the pulse of British and world-wide
journalism. I personally believe they don't.

CNN however seem different, they cast their net wide and tend not to
focus on just the West. I agree, with all the troubles being in the East
that CNN would find plenty of news items there, in fact they do but they
also report many other places too.

I just find that the main 'standard' TV news outlets to be lazy, they imply
to me, certainly has a UK subject, that all news happens only in London
or where there's deserts!
The rest of the UK and other areas of the world are forgotten about....
and certainly at the weekend, possibly because most Journalists don't
work Saturdays!
Unless I'm incorrect and most big stories occur at the weekends.
What do you think

Originally posted by A boy in a dress

Well, at least you have a media that reports on the government and holds their feet to the fire. Over here in America it's just controlled opposition media. We don't really have a station like BBC news here. I mean... over here it's all partisan based.

Sky news... we don't exactly have a station like sky news. We will have stations for or against the government's actions depending on what ideology is in power. You should be thankful that you have a news station that is in permanent opposition (from what it sounds like) to the government that is not controlled by ideological means.


ITN news... that's like ABC news. I think ABC news tends to really sensationalize news stories a lot at late at night. Fox news also does it with TMZ and other gossip programs. We have that here.

CNN is fine. I don't think CNN does that here in America... over here they just report the news here and what the President is doing or whatever else is going on and just that.

As for your comment about the TV news outlets being lazy... here...

I just find that the main 'standard' TV news outlets to be lazy, they imply
to me, certainly has a UK subject, that all news happens only in London
or where there's deserts!

That's common here in America too. I have to get my foreign news from many different sources. I think that it's a common stereotype that people are just too into what's happening around them that they don't have the time to learn about what's going on in other countries. It kept me in the dark for years- not knowing that the MSM didn't report news about other countries much. Oh, and it's common practice for journalists to take the weekend off.

Overall, I'd say your situation sounds much better than ours. Over here really most of our news stations are just controlled opposition fronts for both political parties. Much of the press and the media is controlled by corporate entities... that seem to have an interest in promoting a particular political agenda in mind. It's not so bad that the press is corporate- that I can stand... it's capitalism and hey it's better than having a state controlled media... it's that they actively promote the interests of political parties and that I dislike.

I think you don't know how good you have it. If you came here to America and watched the MSM for a few days you'd realize easily how much better the coverage there is. It's pathetic how bad the coverage by the MSM on news stories is over here.

[edit on 15-11-2009 by Frankidealist35]

The good old days of great news shows are lost.

The last decent news reporting I've seen was when John Kennedy was assassinated.

School was closed the day of the funeral and even as a young person I watched as we buried our president.

There seems to be no passion anymore. No personality.

Another problem is having to skirt issues in the name of political correctness.

As tragic as it was, the news reported when the Hindenburg burned was quality.

As far as weekend news here in the US, the week day reporters are off weekends and the newbies fill the spots.