Do You Watch Your Local News?

[originx]

I am guessing that pretty much a lot of people don't watch national network news
broadcast because of the fapping going on about which newsanchor makes so
much money and is prettier.

So I propose a couple questions, based on your local news shows,
do you watch them and think they provide a good service?

Or do you barely stomach their sensationalistic segments?

[valleyvampiress]

I hardly ever watch the news, but when I do, it's for pure entertainment purposes. Kind of like watching Youtube videos. I certainly don't take their "journaling" seriously.

[tokenuser]

I don't watch the prime time news. They tend to be full of fluff and human interest stories. The late night news is more focused.

I want international news as well, and the US networks don't do that well. International news is all about items that effect Americans or involve Americans, and (unless it is Iraq) occupies 60 seconds of the average news coverage. Completely understandable, but it makes it hard for Americans to understand that there is more out there than America, and events around the world do have an imact locally.

I watch my local newscast at 11:00pm, while recording The Daily Show (ironic that Jon Stewart has better coverage of international events than the networks). I also read www.news.com.au and news.bbc.co.uk - and get most of my international news from there (and to be honest, they have better - non biased - coverage of US events as well).

[ariastar]

Since I don't have a TV right now, I don't watch it. But even when I did, the news was just depressing. I'm happier living with a bit of ignorance. Anything that's important John Stewart will tell me via iTunes.

[kowgod]

In Chicago we have a real news station, WGN.

It is very reminiscent of what actual news should be, a balance of solid reporting, informative editorials and lighter entertainment.

It is also an hour long, and is only broadcast in Chicago, so they have more time per story and less people to appeal to, therefore the quality of each piece is superb.

I don't watch any other form of news on television.

[popltree2]

In Chicago we have a real news station, WGN.

It is very reminiscent of what actual news should be, a balance of solid reporting, informative editorials and lighter entertainment.

It is also an hour long, and is only broadcast in Chicago, so they have more time per story and less people to appeal to, therefore the quality of each piece is superb.

I don't watch any other form of news on television.

Hey Kow, you're in Chicago? My wife is from Peoria (actually Sunnyland, near Peoria). She lived up in Rockford for a while. What's the weather like?

Oh, and I live in Santa Barbara with the Santa Barbara News-supress, I mean Newspress.

[yashar]

NBC 11 reports crap. I only watch it because nothing else is on while I'm waiting for Conan to come on.

[bman]

I don't watch or read any news, only care about tech mainly, which is where digg.com comes in.

[psbp516]

I listen to npr. Dhiane Rheme show, wait wait don't tell me, etc. Sometimes go to newsvine too. Local news is pretty much 95% crap.

[psbp516]

http://www.ifilm.com/video/2714833/collection/18220

[dynomatica]

I watch local news every once in a while when there's some kind of "Thrill" piece.

I watch "DemocracyNow.org" everyday and listen to NPR with BBC at night.

[originx]

Interesting answers. Wow!

[noonebutme]

i watch CNN & Read NY Times daily. so that's a 'no' to local news.

[acidburn]

What drives me crazy about the local news is that they are not content with broadcasting positive news.

If there is no tragedy in the local area, they will find tragedy in some other region and broadcast the story.

[rabidbadger]

[local news rant that I have wanted to get off my chest for years]

I have lived everywhere and can tell you that all local news is formulaic crap. Totally useless. They actually "subscribe" to "story idea" companies. The famous one being the "black light in a motel room" thing where they show you all the "protein stains" all over the place. Within a month every, every, every, major city newscast had the same story except with their local "celebrity" newscaster roaming the nearby motel rooms with a black light.

Don't even get me started on the government produced fake stories that they buy telling us what wonderful things the Iraq war is bringing us, or the absolute horrors that national medical insurance will encure. These stories are actually illegal to show without a specific announcement that they are created by the govt. But it is an illegality without a punishment. The court may say "you did this wrong thing, but there is no punishment available." Absolute bullsh!t.

And they never follow up. There was a horrible fire on my block a few weeks ago. Three little girls died, and the rest of the family left homeless. HUGE news for two days. Three days later, three weeks later...

Nothing.

Are the rest of the family still homeless? Was the fire arson? Was there an electrical problem that the rest of us should look out for? NADA. nothing. Now it's all "Christmas this, and Hanukah that..."

A few months ago, six bricks fell off a building across the street from where I work. For EIGHT friggen days the news vans with their spiraling antennas where broadcasting about this non-event. I can not believe that in a city/county area of our size that there is not one political official who isn't skimming tax money for this that or the other thing. C'mon, "reporters" do your damn job and investigate something!!!

And what is worse than everything is that they always have to tie the (inter)national story-o-the-day with some useless, meaningless local connection.

ie: "Horrible earthquake kills 40,000 people in east bumfug, Asia!!! Horrific footage captured on cell phone video by locals. Oh, and in downtown (your city here) Lester Noname shows how he captured video of his kitty stuck on a screendoor with his cell phone. You can send YOUR cellphone videos to WXXXnews.com and be a famous imbecile too!!!"

[/local news rant that I have wanted to get off my chest for years]