Pandering to the Red States

[Pangloss]

ABC News is running an episode of 20/20 tonight. That in itself is not unusual, of course. Here's what is:

 

- It's in HDTV. News programming in HDTV is an unheard-of rarity. Not one news program or cable news network is running in HD yet. The *only* news program in this country that runs regularly in HD is a 30-minute weekly news magazine on Mark Cuban's HDNet network. (They had the only HD footage of the pope's funeral a few weeks ago, which was kinda interesting.)

 

- They spent a lot of money on this episode of 20/20. Flying all over the country. Interviewing experts. Setting up reenactments. Flying off to the Middle East and shooting a bunch of expensive HD footage over there.

 

So what's so newsworthy about this episode of 20/20? Has a new whistleblower stepped forward to tell us about the sins of corporate America? Is it some new travesty of justice -- an innocent man on death row? A poor family being evicted from their run-down house which is being paved over to make a new freeway for rich people only, at taxpayer expense?

 

No......

 

It's about... get this... the ressurection of Christ!

 

You know, I don't mind the subject at all, by all means I hope it's interesting. I'm Tivo'ing it. But I'm really starting to wonder about these news media types.

 

It's not just this, mind you -- this has been happening a lot. It seems like every week there's some story about religious people. I never remember seeing anything like that number of stories about religious people prior to the election. I watch every night, and it's very much a new thing with ABC News. It's bizarre.

 

Do they really think this is the answer to charges of liberal bias in the media?

 

I'm a big believer in avoiding logical fallacies so I'm not stating this as fact. I'm just saying that it seems mighty peculiar to me, and it really makes me wonder.

 

It worries me, because if they really are that clueless then it means that we're in for worse times rather than better. Where are the stories about the successes of free enterprise? Where are the stories about cutting government spending? Not wasting it -- CUTTING it. Where are the stories about outrageously BAD government entitlement programs? Where are the stories about government entitlement programs that help people but should be cut because they're inefficient?

 

I hope I'm wrong, but I fear I'm right.

[In My Memory]

I've just finished watching the 20/20 special, here is my take on it:

 

Perfectly enlightening as a sermon, truly awful as a scholarly resource. I was disappointed, but unsurprised.

 

It isnt worth the time to examine what claims were made or what words were said, the special was simple preaching.

 

I dont think they would have run the show at all if they actually considered consulting actual historians - it isnt good for ratings to have a bunch of scholars arguing that Jesus Christ probably never existed, the resurrection story is spurious and contradictory, and that the Gospels are no more remarkable than the pagan mythologies which gave rise to the mytholgies in the first place.

 

Their have been a series of recent theological panderings that have aired, such as PBS's "The Question of God", the Discovery Channel's "Jesus of Nazareth", and next week's Good Morning America will air a show titled "In Search of the Real DaVinci Code". The 20/20 special is probably the worst of all the special reports I've ever seen, and the worst of all the specials that have focused on Christianity.

[Pangloss]

And Peter Jennings did a report a couple of months ago about UFOs. (sigh)

 

Maybe it's ratings they're pandering to rather than the red states per se.

[john5746]

I was going to say the same. The media is a business. Religion has been a topic lately, so they will try to meet that perceived demand. I doubt if there are higher ratings for religious documentaries in the "red" states vs the "blue".

[towjyt]

I was going to say the same. The media is a business. Religion has been a topic lately, so they will try to meet that perceived demand. I doubt if there are higher ratings for religious documentaries in the "red" states vs the "blue".

 

True, the media is a business. I think it is important to keep that in mind whenever you read something in a newspaper, or see a report on TV that doesn't seem to quite line up with the facts.

[Pangloss]

Okay, but isn't it possible that they're focused on making money AND miscomprehending the input that viewers are giving them?

[Hellbender]

Red states? Do you mean states that predominantly voted for Bush vs. states that didn't (blue, apparently). I really don't watch the news anymore, but this seems ridiculous. But I agree, it is a business now, they report on what will get them the best ratings, so it is no suprise that running shows on Jesus is a smart business move for them.

[john5746]

Okay, but isn't it possible that they're focused on making money AND miscomprehending the input that viewers are giving them?

 

As with any business, they can be dead wrong on perceived demand, produce a crappy product and have terrible QA. Hence the "patches" sent out from time to time to correct mistakes, etc.

[Kylonicus]

Besides the media being a business, the media companies are currently in league with the government, which makes them less likely to criticize them. The Republican party has helped big media companies by eliminating some of the restrictions of anti-trust laws. Therefore, if the media companies report something that hurts the government, when it's something that doesn't cater a whole lot of ratings, then they don't really care.

 

My opinion,

[Douglas]

"You are a pyromaniac in a field of straw men!"

- George Will, 5/

Where did Will make that statement??

 

I was watching George Will and Katrina vanden Heuvel the other day, Katrina was complaining that Bush and company are trying to muzzle the press and stifling freedom of speech. George pretty much embarrassed her by pointing out that never in history has speech been more free.

[Pangloss]

Yes, it was in that discussion and the quote was directed at vanden Heuvel.

 

My wife missed it as well; I caught it later on Tivo. He kinda leans over a bit and I think it muffles his mike briefly so it's a bit unclear, and it went by so quickly that I had to back up and be sure I'd heard what I thought I'd heard. After that I was rolling on the floor for several minutes. (hehe)