Does "big media" pick the wrong focus?

[SunsetBengal]

(07-11-2015, 06:55 PM)JustWinBaby Wrote: Both Fox and CNN do straight news much of the day...On CNN it's about 45% opinion and 55% hard news, with Fox a mirror image 55/45.  MSNBC is 85% opinion/commentary.

Of course, the hard news is still slanted in terms of what topics covered reflecting the bias of the network.  If you want decent dirt on Dems, you watch Fox.  And to get decent dirt on Repubs, you watch CNN.   It used to be quality opinion pieces, especially in newspapers, would address the counterpoints to their arguments.  That doesn't happen much anymore in serious or productive fashion, particularly on tv which is why you need to get both conservative and liberal views to understand all the sides of the issue.

The more interesting observation, to me, is that 50% of stories are less than 30 seconds with only 20% exceeding one minute.  A story less than 30 seconds would appear hard to cram all the facts into, so when it matters ALL the news stations are cherry-picking the facts that support their agenda, which is different than creatively editing a piece to manufacture your own facts.  If you watch BOTH CNN and Fox, I think you get a decent perspective around an issue...and printed media is no different - you're not getting the whole story if you rely exclusively on liberal or conservative outlets.

http://www.stateofthemedia.org/2013/special-reports-landing-page/the-changing-tv-news-landscape/

I'd say that most folks already get that point.  What I'm aiming at, is where was the discussion about how did this kid with a drug charge get a gun?  Where is the emphasis on government mistake?  Why did the conversation instantly go to "Well, the Confederate Flag must be to blame"? 

It was the same in the Michael Brown situation.  Mass Media had the nation up in a frenzy, thinking that some kid was gunned down, in cold blood.  Later, when the facts came out, that original narrative was the furthest thing from the truth.

Where has the editorial integrity went?  Better question, why aren't Americans protesting the News outlets for covering for governmental oversight? Who is watching the government, on behalf of the American tax payers?