Has the world run out of news? I mean REAL news?

[Buttercup]

I do check various internet news sources throughout the week. Yahoo! is not a favorite and here's why:

Twinkie secrets revealedSee how easy it is to bake at home, and find out what happens after 13 years on the shelf. » Best of '08

Twinkies, Twinkies...all week long. Major headline. How they're made, how you can make/bake them at home, etc.

This is pathetic. Small wonder we Americans get bashed for the tripe which fills our "news."

[Argos]

Man, I´m under the same impression. I´m getting nervous with these holidays doldrums. It feels like the world is standing still. Even BAUT is sluggish. I really don´t like this time of year...

[Buttercup]

Man, I´m under the same impression. I´m getting nervous with these holidays doldrums. It feels like the world is standing still. Even BAUT is sluggish. I really don´t like this time of year...

I agree. :) Feel the same way. Most forums are slow/nonexistant...

Trying to remember the days *before* the internet. Those loooooong dragging boring Sunday afternoons (glad that's over). :hand:

But seriously, if Yahoo! can't come up with some new (and substantial headlines), what with Earth containing dozens of nations and 6+ billion humans......maybe Yahoo! should just "get out of the business."

[gzhpcu]

I just wish there could be some good news once in a while. Seems like it is either news on conflicts somewhere in the world, a beserk person going on a shooting spree, or what Britney Spears, Angelie Jolie, Robbie Williams, et al, are up to (as if anyone could care...).

I remember having heard of a newspaper way back when with the motto "all the news that is fit to print". Guess those days have long been over...

[Doodler]

I blame the 3600 second news cycle...

Don't call it 24 hours, Gods no. Given the number of words per minute these chuckleheads spew on the tiniest minutae, they have long since banished the hour into oblivion. Nothing can actually wait an hour anymore, it goes straight from the news desk to the camera to you in faster than real time.

CNN was an interesting idea at the time, the problem is, like anything else that seems to hit upon an interesting idea, the market lurched onto it like a zombie convention to a nudist Sumo wrestler. They pounced, gorged upon the momentary glory, and left one hell of a mess in their wake.

After seeing how these media outlets handled massive crises like Katrina, ad nauseum interviews with the stranded victims about their misery, while not doing much to actually help deal with the crisis, I'm impressed we haven't yet had a real time interview with a rape victim as the attack is underway.

Television news media has mutated from a source of information on daily events into a twisted hybrid of voyeurism and reality television.

[sarongsong]

...seriously, if Yahoo! can't come up with some new (and substantial headlines)...Yahoo! for news?---I only use it for club forums. If I want the world's news, the resources listed on Drudge (drudgereport.com) are more than adequate.

[Buttercup]

After seeing how these media outlets handled massive crises like Katrina, ad nauseum interviews with the stranded victims about their misery, while not doing much to actually help deal with the crisis, I'm impressed we haven't yet had a real time interview with a rape victim as the attack is underway.

Television news media has mutated from a source of information on daily events into a twisted hybrid of voyeurism and reality television.

I completely agree. It's gotten to the point (for a while now) where local TV reporters are considered "celebrities." Excuse me? No one's paying a theater ticket to see them. And as for interviews with victims while not actively helping, yes; and I remember the days when you saw only the person being interviewed. Now the "celebrity" reporter has to hog up 1/2 the screen with the interviewee. I don't watch much TV anyway, prefer to read.

[geonuc]

Well, you know what they say about no news ...

Still, kinda quiet. My favorite food forum is dead. People still gotta eat, right? :confused:

[Romanus]

There's plenty of interesting news out there...it's just that stories like "Where's Caylee?" and "Amazing Twinkie Secrets" are more popular than reports on the civil war in the DRC or the favelas in Rio. Of course, one has to ask: how much of this frivolity is *prompted* by the news, as opposed to being actively *desired* by the audience?

A hilarious, and highly relevant Jib-Jab clip (slightly NSFW):

http://www.jibjab.com/originals/what_we_call_the_news

[Buttercup]

Thanks for the recommendation/link, Sarongsong.

Of course, one has to ask: how much of this frivolity is *prompted* by the news, as opposed to being actively *desired* by the audience?

I definitely see that point. But can't Yahoo get something different (yet equally trivial) to obsess over? Twinkies...since Tuesday! Gee whiz. I check "Dear Abby" and "Dear Margo" each day, plus have Yahoo e-mail, which is the only reason I'm seeing endless Twinkie coverage....; otherwise will stick with BBC News.

[mahesh]

It's called the silly season...period between Christmas / New year .... world doesn't come to a halt...the sensibilities, of the reporting 'authorities', post celebrations, are not focused as they normally would be. no disrespect to those of my fellow bautzens, who are in the media....but 'fox news'? yikes!. it's the same the world over. i don't like it either, as Argos points out the scenario. and parts of summer are sluggish too, news-wise!

Remember the Tsunami 2004 off Indonesia???...that had cursory coverage first couple of days, in the UK anyway. the enormity and significance of this sad event wasn't exposed until days later. As if everyone was asleep....except the guys in Hawaii and Alaska watching it unfold in consternation, even before the seas rose!

Sorry buttercup. hopefully nothing untoward, serious is happening or will happen to make it kind of 'newsworthy' for some so called news corporations. Let's keep our fingers crossed and enjoy the rest of the days and nights, until we all 'wake up'.

Strauss and Bach, sound good to me.....

[mahesh]

hey buttercup....what is REAL news for you? just curious!
you could pm me, on that one, if you like, in case it's politics etc...which we can't / shan't discuss here!

so?...

[geonuc]

The island of Oahu in Hawaii completely lost their electric power grid. Obama is there at the moment. That's sorta newsy.

[Buttercup]

hey buttercup....what is REAL news for you? just curious!
you could pm me, on that one, if you like, in case it's politics etc...which we can't / shan't discuss here!

so?...

I'll send you a PM. Thanks. :)

[Buttercup]

The island of Oahu in Hawaii completely lost their electric power grid. Obama is there at the moment. That's sorta newsy.

Insofar as his/family's personal security and safey is concerned, yes. Otherwise I wouldn't mind being without electricity in Hawaii...by the pristine beaches...near the ocean...in a multi-million dollar mansion...

[Tinaa]

Great local news here. Caterpillar is building a new manufacturing plant in Seguin.

[geonuc]

Eek. I just checked the headline on the NY Times page. So much for calm.

[mahesh]

Merry Christmas! y'all

[Gillianren]

I just wish there could be some good news once in a while. Seems like it is either news on conflicts somewhere in the world, a beserk person going on a shooting spree, or what Britney Spears, Angelie Jolie, Robbie Williams, et al, are up to (as if anyone could care...).

Good news is boring. "Most people went through an ordinary day without anything bad happening to them"? And yet it's true. It's only when things go wrong that it's really news.

[Disinfo Agent]

Good news can be exciting: "Mr. X wins lottery" -- "I win lottery". But it's usually not as socially useful as bad news. The news media, when properly used, is like an alarm system. You want to hear from it when something's wrong, not when all is well.

But this it the theory. The practice is that journalists are paid to churn out the same average amount of words per issue (or programme) every day. Inevitably, they end up publishing a lot of filler.

[Abbadon_2008]

What do you mean there's no news?
Paris Hilton bought a dog, and Lindsay Lohan was spotted shopping for shoes.
There's conflict in the Middle East, too. Oh,and I forgot...Lots of psychics report the end is nigh.

Did I miss anything?

[kleindoofy]

REAL news
What is "real news"?

[sarongsong]

http://therealnews.com/ http://www.bautforum.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Salty]

I don't even watch TV, anymore.

All I read of the newspaper, ordinarially, is the front page, editorials and letters, and the comics. Unless I'm at the doctor's office. In which case, I devour an entire newspaper.

There's lots of news, out there. It's just that the news media seems to report the frivolous stuff. For example, America's dams need to have reports about them. Think of it, Hoover dam was built with 1930's technology and has been there 70 years. Now, that one has regular maintenance, I'm sure. But, there's a lot of smaller and 50 year old dams out there, where local government may not have regularly maintained them. I think the new government should add dams to their infrastructure list.

Of course, it's bigger news when a dam fails, than when a bridge fails. Only, you would think, that's not the kind of news a new government would want, on its watch.

In closing, in an American Legion Magazine article this year, the author pointed out that lots of American dams needed repairs, and weren't getting any. That's scarey.

[gzhpcu]

Good news is boring. "Most people went through an ordinary day without anything bad happening to them"? And yet it's true. It's only when things go wrong that it's really news.

Unfortunately true.

However, there are some inspirational stories out there. An example, Warren Buffet. Richest man in the world, yet still lives in a house he bought years ago for about 37,000 dollars. Lives simply. Will give all his fortune to chariiy upon his death.

or the "Secret Santas" in Detroit:

http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2008/12/23/secret_santas_pass_out_11000_in_detroit_area/

DETROIT—Two "Secret Santas" have given away $11,000 to unsuspecting Detroit area residents to add some happiness to their holidays.

[mahesh]

....Unless I'm at the doctor's office. In which case, I devour an entire newspaper....

But i thought it was not advisable to eat before being seen by the doctor, Salty? ...

[Cougar]

What is "real news"?

An appropriate question, and not one I, or apparently anyone else, can formulate a quick answer to. What makes something newsworthy? A lot of the news seems chosen to evince the response, "Why, that's just terrible!" But then there's: so-and-so "official" from some country said such-and such.... Who determines how low that bar is, above which are the newsworthy events?

[chrissy]

There was some good news on the "News" I was glued to the TV when I heard this Iron age brain found in skull (http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/science_technology/uks+oldest+surviving+brain+found/2882147)
Scans have confirmed that an unusual yellow substance found inside a 2,000 year old skull found in a muddy field is Britain's oldest surviving brain.

The Iron Age brain, believed to be one of the oldest to be found anywhere in the world, was spotted during excavations in the Heslington area of York.

Archaeologist Rachel Cubitt, from the York Archaeological Trust, noticed the brain as she cleaned the soil-covered bone.

Ms Cubitt said she looked through the base of the skull after feeling something move inside and saw an unusual yellow substance. "It jogged my memory of a university lecture on the rare survival of ancient brain tissue," she said.

The team sought expert medical opinion and the skull was scanned at York Hospital where the existence of the brain was confirmed.

[chrissy]

This link from the BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7777385.stm) might be better.

[novaderrik]

some enterprising journalist should do a story about how there aren't any real news stories any more.. it could be a 5 part expose stretched out over a whole week.

actually, there are just as many "real" news stories now as there have always been- more, actually- but there is also a lot more fluff out there, as well.
Yahoo news knows their target demographic, so they prominently feature the fluff.