10-22-15 News is now just another form of marketing

I’m not sure when the change took place, but I realize that there is very little real news today.  Whether it’s TV, radio or newspapers, what passes for “news” is either some horrific tragedy, a murder, or some negative gossip about a celebrity or politician.

If you’re close to me in age, you remember the days of Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite, Huntley & Brinkley, who did national news, and there were local newscasters who actually reported on real stories.  They spent time doing research, and the stories were often two or three minutes long, rather than a sound bite.

I confess, at this point, to being a Democrat, watching the circus that is building up as we are getting close to a year until the election (most civilized countries in the world limit their election time to a few months at most).  I thought the Democratic debate was exceptional because the participants were actually asked significant questions and provided good answers.  They were respectful toward one another, and the evening was informative.  Prior to the debate, you’d have thought the most important news issues related to Hilary Clinton’s emails or Benghazi, and that Bernie Sanders was streaming past her. 

I guess my point is, whether you’re a Hilary or a Bernie supporter, or a Republican, for that matter, it’s pretty difficult to find any accurate information regarding the history, experience, qualifications or opinions about people in the news.

I’m all for learning how to market a product properly.  I’m just tired of our news media, and our election process, being an exercise in marketing: Who has the most money to buy the most ads to promote the most sensational, if bogus, items?