My Cabal News habits are changing...

[Atman]

CNN has lost all credibility anymore; they don't even try. Still, it is usually the first choice in the morning, because at least it's not The Today Show, itself perhaps the most vacuous two or three hours on BushCo television. But lately, I cannot even stomach CNN, which has essentially morphed into The Today Show, with it's uber-geek hosts who haven't read anything but a telepromter since they first interned as Weekend Weather Friends. So after a bit of truthiness via the talking heads' Morning News Read, I've just been turning it off entirely for most of the day.

I confess, my "viewing" habits were basically not unlike those of a clerk in a drugstore which keeps CNN or FOX on the overhead monitors all day long ('cept for the Fox part -- never!). I'd turn it on in my studio then go to work, with the drone of the blathering Bushbots endlessly looping in the background.

But lately, MSNBC, once second only to Fox in its unabashed cheerleading for BushCo, has wound up on my teevee. Imus, even, whom I've loathed since the first time I heard him, reinforced the first time I saw him and his bullshit cowboy routine. We already have one too many of those around right now. But lately, Imus can be counted on for some brutal Bush-Bashing. His guests always seem to be Celebrity Republicans, like Santorum this morning. But he can be pretty brutal with them. I particularly liked the time he told Lieberman he'd burnn in hell for supporting Bush!

I don't usually watch KO until the midnight rerun, but still, his show is indispensible. Any of the in-between pap has me lunging for the off button -- AC360, Abrams, and *gasp* Rita Crosby or Larry King! spare me the Natalee Holloway updates, please!. Of the few news programs not completely co-opted by BushCo, lately MSNBC seems to be the network most willing to still be critical of BushCo. Certainly not across the board, and not nearly enough. Of course, there is always the distinct possibility that they're just tossing us crumbs to keep up appearances. Anyway, these days, without KO and The Daily Show/Colbert Hour I'd get no news at all!

[valerief]

1. Turn off the TV and turn on AAR

[ClassWarrior]

2. Yup, it's KO, TDS/TCR, and Democracy Now! for me.

That's it anymore.

16+5=2006

NGU.

[LisaLynne]

3. It is sad that our "news media" has become so fully owned by ...

corporations that they have become unwatchable to those of us who see through their propaganda and advertising slogans. Everyone should have to study critical thinking and psychology because in our culture, the lack of understanding people have about those subjects is used to exploit them. They use the same tactics to sell us the Iraq war that they use to make us think we need to buy a new tv. Sickening.

[Coexist]

4. I really enjoy Lou Dobbs and Jack Cafferty lately

although, in order to listen to Cafferty you have to sit through Leslie Blitzer. I do enjoy his live guests occasionally, however, I hate his style.

But it is always nice to see him look scard when he knows Jack is going to get loud and say something not 'fair and balanced'.

[jrw14125]

5. check out BBC world news, too - if for nothing else, the accents

[Atman]

7. I could listen to CNN's Zane Verjee read a telephone book

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.


And if she read the pizza shop listings, at least I'd even get some useful information out of it.

[Atman]

6. Now that MSNBC has ended its morning show, back to drivel...

It's going off now. They're about to tell us about Condi's fitness routine, and how she's really into pumping iron.
Spare me, dear lord, please please...*CLICK*...ahh! That's better.

[Armstead]

8. I listen a lot to Australian Brodcasting Corp on the net

They're great on international news, and almost better than US networks at covering the US.

Plus they have lot of really good talk shows on other subjects.

[catabryna]

9. There is one CNN show that I will watch...

and that is Lou Dobbs. I certainly don't agree with everything he says, but he is the ONLY person out there that talks about the problems facing the middle class (outsourcing, wage decline, etc.). In this particular instance, I'm not willing to throw the baby out with the bathwater. But, I also only watch one program on MSNBC and that is KO. The remainder is pretty much rubbish.

The rest of the time, I usually get my news leads from here or Air America and research the issues myself.

[Atman]

10. Yes, that's true...Lou is okay

Isn't it amazing that just a few short years ago he was the picture of a big-busines republican money-grubber? Now, he's one of the few voices of sanity. It just goes to show just how extreme right the right has gone.

[catabryna]

14. Agree...

and you are right; Lou Dobbs' show is a good indicator of the downfall of journalistic integrity. The reason I like KO is that I can get some news and still manage to get a little laugh at the same time. Everything is so seriously important these days and sometimes one needs a "spoonful of sugar" to help the medicine go down. :)

[mtnsnake]

11. I don't think TV news has changed since it was invented. War is war

and whether it's a legitimate war or a corrupt war, the news isn't going to go out of its way to appear like it's turning on its country, even if the country is run by a monster. What we as listeners have to do is sort out the good from the bad and dwell on the good stuff when it's reported. Today, if we listen with open eyes, the newspeople are giving us plenty of hints that they don't like what's going on. I don't really put a lot of blame on the news, other than they are somewhat corporate. Our people just have to speak up and holler a bit louder and a little more often to get their attention, and it will be reported.

Today CNN sucks; tomorrow they'll be wonderful. Last year Cafferty was a goat; this year he's a hero. They're either good or bad depending on what you remember hearing from them last. Personally, I don't think any of them are all bad, with the exception of FOX, which I refuse to watch for a split second. I've always got a kick out of Cafferty even when so many others seemed to hate his guts.

I gotta run now. Before I head out to make a living, I think I'll flip on CNN to see what's going on, though, lol.

[Hamlette]

12. before the 2004 election I watched 4 hours of news a day

plus TDS. As much as I like KO, sometimes there is too much fluff for me and I end up losing interest.

The only thing that keeps me sane is less than 1% of us watch cable infotainment. It alarms me because I know so many Americans are simply ill informed, but they would not be better informed if they watched "the news" on TV. Sad, sorry state of affairs.

Anyone know what the "viewership" numbers are for TDS?

[Robeson]

13. There are so many other alternatives. JUST TURN IT OFF!....

...you can read an abundant of foreign news sources on the net. You can stream various sites. Forget about American media. It's propoganda, and it always has been.