Friday, August 22, 2008

News Forecasting

The future is not news. We have entered an irritating age where people are so eager for drama that they would rather hear speculation than actual facts. All of the news outlets we have today spend most of their time reporting what might happen rather than what has been proven as true. This hearsay type of reporting is not only annoying but possibly dangerous. It gives power to the media to sway public opinion to what they think might happen - or more accurately - what they want to happen. To forecast the news is not technically lying so therefore it is not illegal. But it is not truth either and therefore it is not real news. And it is so very much worse in an election year. For example - can't we wait until the VP picks are announced to report it? Why waste so much time speculating who we think it might be - that doesn't matter. It is not news until it is a fact.

On a related note, I'm also irritated with the phrase "speaking on condition of annominity because they are not authorized to comment". If you are not authorized to comment then you should not be speaking #1 and what you say should not be reported #2. If you can't reveal your source then how can we know your information is fact and not just gossip? I want proof.

Isn't there enough real news and proven facts that people need to be aware of to fill your newscast, newspaper or website? Leave the gossip to the blogs.

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