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Monday, February 6, 2012

The "local news" at 4pm

This is why I don't watch the local news ...

Channel 36, NBC from Charlotte, at 4pm, which they declared to be "news you need to know" ...

Top stories:

1) Super Bowl champs return home (this is relevant for us because???). Perhaps this is due to the fact that NBC carried the Super Bowl?

2) Man walks into Wal Mart, steals a flat screen TV that was on display ... they showed his picture and said "We need your help finding this man."

3) Fatal accident, charges pending. Story includes video from the scene.

4) Man on bike exposes himself while riding the bike!

5) Speaking of sex offenders! Did you know there is a new APP for your phone that allows you to search for sex offenders in your area, and even can alert you via text messages if you sign up? We'll show you how later in the news!

6) Water line breaks, causing a major delay in the local courts! People show up only to be turned away. Angry woman with poor English skills expresses frustration.

7) "More unrest in the Middle East." True (Syria) but relevant for the local news?

8) Riot at UMASS after Patriots lose Super Bowl. Police come out, use tear gas. And this is news because?

9) Speaking of the Super Bowl, the ratings show it was the most watched show even on US TV!

10) Man loses hundreds of pounds, we'll show you how!

11) Quick weather update, more coming later.

So I think you get the point. This is where I turned it off, 15 minutes in.

Only thing left -- weather, sports, feel good story.

Did I feel more informed? Nope. So what is the point of the "news?"

2 comments:

  1. While it seems that the media is losing sight of what is most important when it comes to the news, we must keep in mind that the media don't have 100% control over what they cover. We talked about how corporations are all about profit and they must believe that these top 11 stories will hold the most viewers. The news is supposed to inform people so that they can make better decisions. Let’s examine these stories and see which ones would actually effect people and inform them for the better.

    1) Knowing what Eli Manning ate for breakfast this morning is not going to benefit anyone, and there is absolutely no need for it to be one of the top stories on NBC Charlotte News.
    2) I don’t know many people that are going to purposely keep an eye out for a Wal-Mart TV thief who is probably less than dangerous, much less go out of their way to “help catch this man”.
    3) Car accident, that is extremely sad and it might make you want to drive a little more cautiously, but really, what can you do about it?
    4) Indecent exposure is a crime, yes, but I don’t think this story is going to affect American decisions, or stop them from going to the local coffee shop.
    5) It is definitely useful to know if there is a sex offender living next door; however, getting a text every time one moves into your neighborhood is probably just going to drive you crazy.
    6) Locals now know that the courts are slowed and people are getting angry, but this is only going to affect you if you have an upcoming court date.
    7) When isn’t there unrest overseas? I’m not so sure that it affects the locals of Charlotte.
    8) Another story about angry mobs and police brutality, but again at a university hundreds of miles away not affecting anyone locally.
    9) Of course the ratings would show that the Super Bowl was the most watched show, isn’t it every year? NBC carried the Super Bowl, and this news story just demonstrates a good point in NBC ratings.
    10) Anyone looking to lose hundreds of pounds should keep watching, except it is probably not from exercising and eating right but more from a special pill or an expensive surgery. The people watching this are not going to make better decisions after watching this; they might even make a life threatening choice.
    11) Weather might actually affect people decision’s on what to do, what to where, how fast to drive, and what plans to make.

    Way to go NBC, you’ve officially dropped to a low. Everyday Americans will watch this and be entertained at the thought of a naked bike rider, and shocked at police brutality. They may even sign up for a dangerous surgery or stay on the lookout for a TV thief; however I don’t think that anyone would be affected by not seeing these stories. I don’t see a benefit to many of them, and I believe Americans should realize that corporations are just focusing on profit and there are more important stories out there that could positively benefit Americans.

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  2. Great reaction. The local news has gotten straight up ridiculous. Today at noon they did the same type thing. BREAKING NEWS! Accident with helicopter footage. They knew nothing at all only to say that someone was killed and that the accident was cleared, yet they knew nothing else. So I wondered why was it on the news?

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