The disapointment of broadcast news
Dan Thornton | July 11, 2008Since the birth of my son and the routine of morning feeding, I’ve started watching breakfast television news for the first time in about 18 months. There’s really not a lot else on at 6am, but I’m already finding reasons to look forward to avoiding it in the future.
For starters, it appears that either there is only enough news happening each day to fill exactly an hour - or that’s the average time that people watch breakfast news before heading off to work. Sadly, as I’m up for two hours looking after my son, I spot the exact time that the hour rolls round, and stories are repeated.
And there’s no escape by swapping channels, as not only do both shows feature the same news stories, but they use the same film clips, and even ask the same questions! Having watched an interview on one channel, I switched over to see the same person, same location, with the same questions. I guess no-one wants to be different to their main competitor! Obviously none of them are looking for their Purple Cow.
By comparison, any news story online can be supported by personal reactions on Twitter and blogs, by a variety of local and national sources, and with video ranging from camera phones at the scene to broadcast quality filming.
So I either look forward to the day I can stop watching an endless repetitive loop - or I get myself a cable, connect my laptop to the TV, and set up 2-3 hours of relevant and interesting things to watch every morning.
Time to buy the cable!
I think you're right and wrong. The loop seems to
paul nicholls | July 11, 2008I think you’re right and wrong. The loop seems to me to start and end at about 15 minutes.
BBC News 24 is ok - but like you, I watch the loop and that’s it. It seems the news caters for the MTV generation who appear to have the concentration of a gnat.
The few times I have watched it, it seems out
Jo | July 11, 2008The few times I have watched it, it seems out and out gossip.
A news crew does not seem to have been working during the night. All hell could have broken loose from SF via down under, Asia, East Europe and we won’t hear about it till noon.
I’ve given up on TV. What can you do at that time in the morning when you priority is a baby? Talking books? Downloads of lectures from American universities? TED talks?