News Papers/Broadcast/Cable News Irrelevant?

[Ryo Hazuki]

It's no secret that I use to despise the news. The amount of depressing stories I heard left me feeling like shit, and ultimately useless. But now as I've grown older I've come to realize that the world changes constantly and there are things that I must know to stay informed. The thing is, the source that I use to turn to to obtain information is quickly deteriorating. Stations are ignoring relevant information and talking about celebrity crushes or Lohan in jail while there are much more sinister and important things happening. Take for example, the recent Union protest in Wisconsin, USA, over 100,000 protesters and I do not hear anything about it on the news at all. At first I would suspect it would be on cable news but research says it was all but ignored there too. CNN, giving it one minute, FOX NEW (haha News) in a extreme bias AND openly supporting far right objectives, even MSNBC the so called "Liberal network" just had mummers. No concrete coverage. Instead, opting to report about the Tea Party.

If we can not turn to the television for news anymore where does the future lay? Is it in the internet, where I first saw the Egypt Coverage before anywhere I saw it on TV. Must the world obtain the important facts through sites like Google and Twitter and Facebook? (~450 mil users for Facebook alone) Online news papers? Even through headlines on email pages?

Collectively way over a billion users, and counting there is a huge potential for a mass of Useful information. Has the people become the news, instead of the news reporting to the people?

Do the Governments of the world not want us to stay informed or just to keep everyone in the shadows, and I ask, has any true sense of journalism become extinct with the new corporations that care more about cash than letting you know what's going on and have the News Papers/Broadcast/Cable News services become Irrelevant? Are they becoming more so every day?

Edit: Sorry about the misspelling in the thread title.

[Benjamin]

I don't think the government can control everything that a news source puts out (with obvious exceptions).

Anyways, the internet is the best place, to me. It's better than TV because TV dictates what order you must see the news and what news you see. Whereas online you can ignore whatever news you want and can even specify what type of news you want to see (i.e. the sports section, money, etc.). Normal newspapers achieve this as well except the internet is a much faster way (and much more portable with smart phones).

[ThaHandyman]

Irrelevant, no, but I certainly see where the, I don't know how to term it, 'viewer share'? or whatever for TV and newspapers is deteriorating. The internet is just a lot easier to use, I can have one tab open with facebook, one with the LPA, and one with the news. Easy as pie.

[Benjamin]

The only point of a real newspaper is for people with no internet. Nobody in my generation is going to get newspapers mailed to them.

And yeah, TV news is getting fairly irrelevant (except I still think local news is good)....except for Stephen Colbert :awesome:

[dereklp]

Why would the news media give us relevant news? No one cares anymore. They're more occupied with, like you said, Lohan and the bunch. Which Jersey Shore member has what STD now, etc. I used to hate the news for reporting all this crap but then when I see how people only care about other people's lives and not their own, I just have to give up. There is a very small group of people now that actually care. Most people are more occupied updating their Facebook's and worried what everyone else on their friend's list is doing that what's going on in the real world anyways. It's no surprise new channels are reporting this, they're fighting for ratings. I mean come on, we have tv shows made to look like news shows that update us on celebrities lives. Extra, TMZ, etc. It's quite pathetic. I used to even find myself with LP wondering what's going on in their lives but nowadays I could care less. As long as they make great music, that's enough for me.
I still watch my local news because they have local stories which I care about, of course we have a lot of junk as well. What with our own local American Idol and such. There are a few non news related segments we have which I enjoy like the Home Depot segments that teach people basic home repairs. But I am sure not only mine but more local news stations will start airing more celebrity info and such. Like I said, I mostly blame the people.

[Ryo Hazuki]

Even the Local news here talk about Celebs. It's so fucking annoying.

[sotrix]

I read the NYT with breakfast most weekday mornings. I don't think papers are irrelevant, no other news source is as well written.