Cable News Networks and Their Crisis of Conscience

News ratings have been monotonously boorishly consistent for years excepting the occasional spikesamp160 However over the past three quarters total day ratings on MSNBC have increased 5070 vs 2016 while CNN and Fox News are up between 1525 with CNN Q3 2017 posting its mostwatched quarter everamp160 So I say to these networks amp8220Well done peopleamp8221amp160 Or perhaps I should say amp8220Well playedamp8221amp160 Itamp8217s wishful thinking on my part to believe this surge in viewership is because the nets have reengaged Americaamp8217s interest in our countryamp8217s political process amp160Most likely it is because people are fascinated with the ongoing circus in Washington DCamp160 Itamp8217s the new Greatest Show on Earth and who doesnamp8217t love a good circusI wonder if what we are experiencing now with cable news coverage is the new normalamp160 We havenamp8217t seen a President who behaves so irascibly and unpredictably since Andrew Jacksonamp160 We havenamp8217t seen a President with such a contentious relationship with the press since Richard Nixonamp160 Partisan politics are at a fever pitchamp160 And in the middle of it all we have the cable news nets serving up the playbyplayamp160 All of this angst and political chaos is generating daily soap operalike story lines that viewers are gobbling up as they do episodes of Scandal amp160Good for ratings good for revenues and therein lies an insidious conflict of interest that is testing the moral authority of the pressAre the networks responding to Americaamp8217s appetite for more coverage of the DC Follies or are they helping whet that appetite because it serves their financial interestsamp160 Or bothamp160 Regardless of the answer there is a perception here of conflict of interestamp160 Oftentimes now the nets are not just reporting the news but interpreting curating and repackaging it so as to create storylines that appeal to their leftleaning or rightleaning supporters amp160Depending on which cable news network you were watching last week you were presented with completely different reports opinions and viewpoints of the President TrumpGeneral KellyRepresentative Wilson spatamp160 Rather than simply reporting the details of the incident and letting the viewers come to their own conclusion weamp8217re not capable of that I suppose the nets cast one side as hero and the other as goatFor years our TV news media and anchors have been our most trusted sources for informationamp160 They are the ones who kept our business and political leaders honestamp160 They are the ones who exposed the opioid crisis and the bad actors behind it amp160Thank you 60 Minutesamp160 They have been the guardians of democracy and the First Amendmentamp160 They are the ones to whom we turn to parse Fake Newsamp160 But it feels like news coverage is now morphing into reality TV as the circus continuesThe news nets have spent thousands of hours speculating about Hillary Clintonamp8217s emails and President Trumpamp8217s connection to the Russians amp8230 and to what endamp160 These stories are kept alive and fueled by leaks from unnamed sources and speculation by talkinghead amp8220expertsamp8221amp160 We are repeatedly fed the promo amp8220Breaking Newsamp8221 even if the news is hours oldBut as Clara Peller so aptly put it amp8220Whereamp8217s the beefamp8221What happens when the circus leaves townamp160 What financial pressures will the news networks be under to maintain their current rarified viewership levels and what nature of reporting and storylines will be necessary to do soWe need the objectivity of the news media more than ever in this world of fake social media postings and foreign statesponsored intervention in our political processamp160 Even the perception that our news media are curating the news to drive viewership for their own financial benefit takes us down a dark pathDisturbingly if the goal of the Russian interference into our election process was to create dissent and division within our democracy it seems like theyamp8217re succeeding and much of this divisive dialogue has been fueled in part by our news mediaThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writersClick the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesamp160amp160

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Cable News Networks and Their Crisis of Conscience

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Steve Grubbs

Jon Miller | Cofounder Marketo, Engagio | The Gumball Machine is Broken - Rethinking B2B Marketing - By Mike Linton

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Cable News Networks and Their Crisis of Conscience

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Jon Miller | Cofounder Marketo, Engagio | The Gumball Machine is Broken - Rethinking B2B Marketing - By Mike Linton

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