The News Essay -- Personal Narrative News Television Media Papers

The News Watching the news on television has always been a wearisome chore for me. There is constant competition for my attention between the presentation of the news and the actual facts reported. At times, I question the accuracy of the news presented. I don't believe the reporters purposely broadcast stories which are untrue - but I believe some stories are either reported before getting all the information, which could result in a false story, or are slanted towards a certain major corporation or political candidate, and I mistrust the motive of the network. In addition, I feel television news has become concerned with being entertaining. In my opinion, the news is not the forum for entertainment. A news show is intended for providing information that at most may affect the viewer, or in the least provide informative facts. We do not need to coincide this with entertainment. On January 14, 1997, I watched Channel 7's 5:00 pm ABC Eyewitness News Local Broadcasting with Diane Burtone and Al an Krashesky. For 30 minutes I was charmed by these two suave, sophisticated acting, professional looking, young news reporters. This politically correct, racially balanced Caucasian male and African-American female duo teamed up to present the local news. The news started out immediately with the first story about a woman who was found dead in her burned down house. What appeared to have been an "open and shut case" turned into a mystery. Evidenced surfaced that indicated this woman may have been killed before the house was set on fire. While this story was being reported, shots of the fireman rifling through the debris was shown as a background to a near full screen picture of the deceased woman with the words "home torched" across t... ...t the news it is because I do not like being emotionally forced, and I feel this news cast tried to force me into feeling a certain way - remorse for the deceased woman, warm for the "person I should know", cozy at the end of the broadcast with three happy stories shoved down my throat. That is why I prefer to read my news. I just want the facts, not the decoration. And I don't need a laugh track to tell me when to laugh, or a deceased woman's picture flashed across the screen when I should be sad. Reading the news seems to be more professional, less social, and more informative. When I watch the news I find myself watching the reporters, paying less attention to the actual news. The forced camaraderie between the reporters overpowers the news. Besides, if I want to be entertained during the news, I can always watch reruns of Ted Baxter doing the Minneapolis news.