Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Is All News Newsworthy?

As some of the regular readers of this blog may have noticed, I read a lot of news. Well at least it’s news in someone’s view, although I’m not always sure it should be. Just a quick perusal of some lead news stories around the Wondernet yesterday really left me shaking my head.

The first story that stuck out was about Katie Couric. It seems as a nation we quickly got over her
photo editing scandal and moved on to her reporting the news becoming the news. Apparently, there wasn’t any significant news event yesterday. The fact that Katie was CBS’ new anchor appeared to be far more important than anything she had to say. Don’t get me wrong, she is easier on the eye than Dan Rather or Bob Schaefer. However, should her new job really be a news story? If she decides to run a cooking segment or concert series during her major network primetime newscast, that might be newsworthy.

The other big headline I noticed concerned the first public picture of Tom Cruise’s new baby, Slushie, Slurpy, Surreal or whatever she is named. I love children as much as anyone, but how much importance should be placed on the fact that her first picture has been released to the media. That should be a news item buried in the back page somewhere, if anywhere. No offense to the Cruises, but if their baby’s picture is gracing the cover of a magazine, then we’ll be sure to see it in the checkout line at our corner Piggly Wiggly (which by the way celebrates its 90th birthday today…now that’s newsworthy). We don’t need the news media to tell us that the picture will be on a magazine. I may be a cynic, but I just don’t think that’s real news. Where have all the real newsmen (and women) gone? I’m speaking of true reporting pioneers like Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite, and WKRP’s Les Nessman (former winner of the Buckeye News Hawk Award).

I will however tell you what in my humble opinion should be reported on. It’s a news story that has the potential to affect the health of dozens of people and it appeared in the Washington Post in a real print newspaper, so we know it’s true and important. Unfortunately, despite its implications, the story won’t be given as much attention as the stories about Couric and Suri (sounds like a law firm, doesn’t it?).

It’s about the fact that fish (namely bass) in the Potomac River are having some hormone problems. Male fish that are developing eggs have been caught over the last few years. While I’m sure the female bass population is saying it’s about time, it should be reason for alarm. I know that fish are built much differently than we are genetically speaking, but what if this starts to wreak havoc with humans in the area. In the next few years, as male fishermen begin showing signs of having high female hormones, we won’t be as prepared as we could’ve been because as a nation we were more interested in much less newsy things.

Although if the same male fishermen start developing fish eggs in their bellies, you can bet that will get news attention. I guess the moral of this story is that if you want to get real news out to the people, you need to associate it with either something freaky or celebrity related. The beauty of a story about Tom Cruise is that you get both in the same package. And that is the news for today, September 6, 2006…goodnight and may the good news be yours.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Excellent on many levels. In the U.K. these celebs are called NEWSREADERS. Doesn't that put it in perspective? They read freaking news stories! (Oh yeah, all the journalistes (note French spelling) can croon how these newsreaders are serious editors, etc. Puh-leeez. As for those fish in the Potomac, I believe they are known as pisces gloria in steinem excelsis. Laugh. Or. Else.

Anonymous said...

here's your close parens for my preceding comment

Parlancheq said...

If you can get Katie Couric to report on the fish while holding baby Suri, then maybe people would pay attention. If they weren't too busy caring about when Suri's parents were going to get hitched, that is.

(Though I, for one, thought Katie sounded fake on the evening news. Where's genuinely perky morning Katie?)

Odat said...

Damn..i just typed out three paragraphs of comments and lost them! I'll never get them back!
But I'll try again..
a) I, being a woman, (did ya know that..ha ha) am happy to see that a woman is anchoring the news. However, (a bid however) I, for one, cannot stand Katie Couric..never could. She doesn't, in my humble opinion, have a commanding presence, which is something i think is needed as an anchor...and she has no lips! That always bothered me. lol.
b) as far as Suri is concerned...don't care about that!
(she is cute tho..but aren't all babies?)
c)Men should have eggs!

Peace

Michael C said...

Lauhorist: Thanks for your comments. Very clever fish name! Newreaders, huh? What a great name. Maybe we should start that here. Who wants to be an anchor? Well, sometimes they do weigh the show down, I guess.

Parlancheq: I like your "genuinely perky morning" description. That should be a coffee blend somewhere!

Odat: I'm not the biggest Katie fan either. You are right, how can someone be a news anchor (or newsreader) and not have lips! I know I'm getting deep thoughts when you list them alphabetically. (notice I could not bring myself to respond about the eggs, sorry)
;-)

ShadowFalcon said...

I don't know who Katie is, I find it difficult to watch american news programes because of the sheer volume of makeup the newreaders wear. I'm left wondering was that a soap or was the meant to be real?

Don't get me started on Tom Cruise, lets just hope the mothership comes and takes them all away or that Zenu finally gets them...

mist1 said...

I will incite a riot if men start developing eggs. You know how much more we make donating those puppies than guys make for their donations.

Great, a new threat to my job security.

Mo and The Purries said...

Couric & Suri: a law firm === LOL

Why was Katie Couric presenting a magazine photo of Suri (who names their kid after a type of alpaca anyway? google it = suri alpaca) -- this was CBS evening news-worthy? Dan Rather must be rolling around in his grave... oh wait, he was fired, not dead....

as for male fish gettin' the egg on: the hormones in birth control pills are not filtered out when sewer water is treated; thus, lots & lots of female hormones are being pumped back into are waterways (along with other pharmaceuticals like anti-depressants that also are not filtered out) -- and all those chemicals in the water are wreaking havoc with soft-bodied water-dwelling animals like fish & amphibians. Male bass having eggs? Doesn't surprise me one little bit.
When our next generation of little boys drinking that water starts growing tits at puberty, THEN people might get worried...
okay, clearly I had lots to say about this interesting post.
thanks for letting me vent!

Anonymous said...

I thought and thought about a proper comment for this posting. Until I got down to my word verification letters.

OCGOTDI (noun) Medical term.

A male of a species with eggs for reproduction. Genetic mutation.

I am actually coming to be of the opinion that half of all blogging comments evolve around word verification.

Later Yall...

Awesome Mom said...

I think every one is so excited about Suri becuase the pictures are proof that she actually exsists and is not an alien baby. Unless of course she really is an alien baby and they are just better at hiding it than most.