General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Regarding MSNBC [View all]herding cats
(19,545 posts)I read your article, it was like a walk down memory lane. Even if in this case the memories weren't pleasant ones. In the case of the selling of the Iraq war, all the cable networks carried water for the administration as I recall. It wasn't the 'in' thing to question why, or even if for that matter, what was being presented was factual. It was all about meeting the agenda and bringing your viewers to heel. That was when I mostly stopped getting my news from places like MSNBC and CNN and instead turned to the internet.
I, personally, believe cable news-like networks are a form of entertainment, not unlike reality television in some respects. They both sensationalize and "sexy" up what they have to work with in order to catch the eyes of their desired demographic. Which isn't to say that some of what they're saying isn't based on fact, because some of it is. The problem is a person has to have the ability to weed the sensationalism from the rest to come up with those nuggets of news. I just don't have as much time, or interest, to spend doing that these days.
Thanks for sharing, I enjoyed the read.