Are you trying to put these guys out of work?
They get paid to annoy you!
Posted on 11/04/2007 4:29:38 AM PST by BigAlPro
Is it just me or are we all getting pretty tired of FNC’s abuse of “Breaking News” and “News Alerts”? It amazes me that you can’t watch one day’s worth of programming on America’s “fair and balanced” network without being assaulted by these false overtures. The producers at the FNC must think we are the dumbest viewers in the history of television news.
The recent fires in Southern California provided almost every anchor on Fox with the opportunity to over-dramatize the events of the day. I’ve never seen so many “Breaking News” reports on one story in my life. And it wasn’t as if they were actually reporting on something that hadn’t been covered all day long or even a significant change to what had already been reported. Everything was just “breaking”.
In order for news to be breaking, it is supposed to interrupt the regularly scheduled programming. That is why breaking news used to always be preceded with phrases like, “We interrupt your regularly scheduled program to bring you this special report”. Likewise, breaking news was always followed by the announcement, “We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.”
Hannity & Colmes are pretty much tied with Greta for being the worst when it comes to “News Alerts”. They flash that notice on the screen and start telling us all about some trivial story Shepard Smith “broke” six to seven hours earlier that same day. What is so alerting about a story that has been covered by every other anchor on your network?
When it comes to being overly dramatic, you can’t help but love Shepard Smith and Geraldo Rivera. However, the top Drama Queen of them all has to be John Gibson.
How is it possible to open your show with “Breaking News”? How do you head into a commercial break by saying, “When we come back, we’ll have Breaking News on today’s top story”? How do you have breaking news in the beginning, middle and end of a news program? How is anything “Brittney” breaking? Do they not understand the simple concept of “Breaking”?
As if all this weren’t bad enough, the FNC has become the king of speculation TV. When your interview includes questions like, “What do you think she meant by…” or “What is going through his mind right now…” you are no longer reporting, you are speculating. What could a retired Jersey trooper possibly know about a carjacker in California? If he’s not a psychic, he’s just another spectator and his input is nothing but conjecture.
Now, I don’t get CNN and I wouldn’t watch MSNBC if you paid me. For all I know, they may be just as bad as my beloved Fox. However, if someone doesn’t step up and do something about the over-dramatization of network news, I am going to have to turn off my TV and rely solely on the Internet for my daily news.
What is it going to take to bring some integrity to the cable news networks? Maybe we should get Bill O’Reilly to lead a boycott against all network news until they get their act together, quit speculating and stop abusing the once sacred “Breaking News”.
I pretty much stopped watching news on TV, now its almost alway the internet just because I deplore these people and their antics of glory, and I doubt it will get any better.
Shouldn’t this have been posted in Breaking News??
Me thinks they does protest too much.
I still want the WHOOOOOSH! DONNNNNGGG! as a ringtone.
Yeah, it really irks me when it is a News Alert, and the subject is Britany Spears or Paris Hilton.
Too many women as well... all emotion-over-content reporting.
>>>>Is it just me or are we all getting pretty tired of FNC’s abuse of “Breaking News” and “News Alerts”?
We can send FNC a few of FR’s admin moderators! :)
Last I saw, training consults were getting paid $60,000 for seminar classes. I don’t think the mods would mined a few of those nickels.
Just wake up, Rip Van Winkle?
All blond all the time....they are “blowing” it....
At the AP we had several levels of news alerts.
Normal (Missing woman still missing) was 2 bells on the printer.
Urgent (Missing woman found) was 3 bells.
Bulletin (Missing woman hijacks plane) was 4 bells.
Flash (Missing woman assassinates president) was five bells.
I think Fox should institute a similar scale for their news alerts.
Why do you think they call it “Fox” news?
plus they DO overuse the breaking news alert. you can tell how much i have fox on at my house since i know all this stuff.
i just can't stand the lack of professionalism that went out the door with kieran chetry, who had the ability to be cheerful, amused and professional at the same time.
The guy writing this must have seen the October cable news ratings.
it is the constant force-feeding of “celebrity” news that is driving me from TV news - regardless of network.
I’m surprised you have just found this to be a problem or an issue. It has driven me crazy for at least a year.
The women are bad, but the worst is Shep Smith.
This person's living in the 70's; at least that is the last time I heard this phrase. We now have 24-hour news channels. They don't interrupt anything, anymore. Thus, "breaking news" would be just that, news that is breaking right now.
The guy writing this must have seen the October cable news ratings.I didn't. How is Fox doing?
How about the overuse of the phrase, “You won’t believe...” to bait you into watching an upcoming story?
sheesh, enough already
...and one more thing - they’ve got too many silly women reporting the news as if it’s all ‘hot from Hollywood’ stuff. They don’t change their delivery or demeanor from a light entertainment type story to reporting serious news.
Why does anyone watch tv news anyway- it’s just fluff.
Go on FR and in 15 seconds you have all the news you need to know.
Shepard Smith's show is nothing more than National Enquirer Revisted.
mined?
Fox News sucks! I stopped watching years ago when they tracked OJ’s Bronco.
If I ever catch a glimpse of it, I just can’t believe what it’s turned into. It’s televised “Enquirer” magazine.
I thought it was a FOX rip off, but it is ALL stations that do it.
You’re absolutely right. This ISN’T Breaking News.
We must hold this Forum in hugh regard and reserve it for series discussions.
Such as the following:
Bleaking Noose! HELP! My Beeber won’t hold a charge because the Zot button is sticking!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1571488/posts
My feelings exactly! I rarely watch any “news” shows for that reason. I will try to find out what guests are on and in what format then occasionally tune in. But I to am so sick of simple minded shallow celebrities getting attention and authority they do not deserve and to see the people gawking over them makes me sick. I honestly believe Hollywood is the most disgusting ignorant gathering of simpletons on the planet.
I usually have the remote near at hand so I can mute Lis Wiehl and that skank Laura Schwartz (how many times was she under Clinton's oval office desk?) any time their smug arrogant condescending mugs appear.
I haven’t watched FoxNews Channel in over a year. I find it unwatchable.
I suppose you prefer Shep's and Geraldo's type of hysterical emotion?
Or maybe you just like it when O'smiley gets all loud, red faced and looks like he wants to pound someone?
Yes jjjjjohnny, we can now read a wimpy guys "emotion" from a thousand yards. The jig is up
Pre coffee typo.
Shep Smith IS a doofus, isn’t he?
Shouldn’t this be in Breaking Wind?
This is “Breaking News”? Is Fox moderating the FR forum today?
FNC needs to dump Greta “Clutch Cargo” Van Susteren and hire Glenn Beck.
They should use truth in advertising, and call these “Wind Breaking News”.
We are not robots who are expected to just sit and take it, whatever the "IT" is. We have minds and voices and we should use them when those in positions of responsibility abuse their authority.
Just because I am a Republican, that doesn't mean I have to agree with Bush's position on illegal immigration. And just because I watch Fox, that doesn't mean I should let them get away with INTEGRITY VIOLATIONS.
Shoot! I’d be happy to take that assignment myself.
“The producers at the FNC must think we are the dumbest viewers in the history of television news”, and if they do, they’re right. Thanks primarily to public schools, television, working mothers, and fast/snack food, America is dumber and fatter than it’s ever been, and no powerful nation has ever been as dumb or as fat as America.
It’s exactly what this article describes that pushed me long ago to quit watching almost eveything on Fox News except Brit Hume’s “Special Report”....and the very name of his show reinforces every point the author is making.
The other over-used local phrase I see and hear constantly on every local channel in the Portland OR metro area is “STORM TEAM” ____ (Insert your loval channel number here).
Forgive me, but Portland Oregon doesn’t know what a real storm is; compared to one of those frog-drowning, end-of-the-world thunderstorms that occur all the time in the South...
I watch Fox all the time, but I too don’t like the histrionics. If people say it enough and the right people hear it they might take heed.
IOW, the writer's strike will not effect me.
This isn't a "Breaking News" story. It is a story about "Breaking News". Or in this case non-breaking news.
OTOH; think the focus on much of the lighter side. . .charitably speaking that is - is done to appeal to the younger viewers.
If that is the hook that gets this group to Fox News. . .and at least, might expose them to some greater 'truths of the matter'. . .then I am willing to put up with it; or I can, of course, ignore it altogether; and check back later.
(. . .and have to say, think Shep wins on the Drama Queen. . .he is really good; but do like him; and appreciate John Gibson as well. . .and think he did just fine, withOUT Heather as co-'star'. . .)
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