News is what people need to know and what people want to know.
At least that's what I learned in a high school journalism class.
There's a lot of truth to that definition, but it's obviously more important to report on what people need to know. As much as we love hearing about the Octomom, it's not imperative that we stay informed about her every move. It is imperative, however, to hear about peanut butter recalls, the latest medical breakthroughs and bills discussed in Congress that could possibly affect us.
So where does news we want to hear come into the picture? One thing's for sure - recent news isn't telling us anything we're dying to hear.
In response to that, NBC's Brian Williams said he's tired of delivering depressing news to a depressed audience. He asked viewers to send him stories about people doing good - about kindness, generosity and hope in these hard economic times. The response he got was overwhelming, and he shares some of the thousands of stories he's received on NBC Nightly News.
Stories range from people volunteering to drive cancer patients to their appointments to landlords helping tenants make rent. I even remember hearing a story about someone putting $50 in an envelope and sending it up a long check-out line in a grocery store. If they needed the money, the envelope instructed them to take it. If they didn't, they were told to pass it along to the next person. The envelope went through many people, with some even adding money before continuing to pass it. The person who shared this story with NBC was dumbfounded and humbled by that kind of random generosity. I think most of us are. Despite the warm feeling we get after reassurance that the world isn't full of Bernie Madoffs, critics say NBC's attempt to raise spirits takes up valuable time that should be used for real, pressing issues.
That may have been a valid point before online news and 24-hour news networks became part of our everyday lives. And I don't think anyone can completely agree on what NBC or any nightly newscast should cover during just 23 minutes of airtime a night. Also, when considering the countless available news outlets, there is very little information we don't have access to. So if you think generosity and kindness aren't worth covering, you don't have to watch it.
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The uplifting stories you discussed are not "news", they're puff pieces. The fact that a student at VT would consider otherwise is a very sharp and depressing critique of the quality of our University. News is about keeping an eye on your institutions and government that have the power to influence your day-to-day decisions. Such news is what is necessary for an informed and functioning democracy.
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You are right the news needs to improve but it isn't a lack of positivity that is the problem. The news isn't useful like it should be. It's the medias role to inform the public discourse and they are doing the exact opposite. When news stations are spending hours disusing asinine issues like Obama not wearing a flag pin or going on and on about missing white girls you know there is a problem. I can't watch any cable news network because they make Jon Stewart look like Walter Cronkite.
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I can't believe that you're advocating NBC and especially Brian Williams. After what its "news" division did to Virginia Tech? Glorifying a mass murderer by giving him a voice and publishing his manifesto. After exploiting the loss and sickening the public, the public has rightly turned off that channel. This latest gimmick is geared to shut-ins and is the direct result of NBC's plummeting viewership. Turn off NBC and get the good news by conversing with your neighbor.
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No You're Wrong - if we had an informed democracy Obama wouldn't have won the election.
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No, You're Wrong-if we had an informed (or exceptional, or successful, or enlightened, or open-minded, or smart, or distinguished) Republican candidate, Obama wouldn't have won the election.
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