Jim Pinkerton found a graphic way to express his displeasure over Fox News Watch's decision to devote a segment to Lindsay Lohan's latest run-in with the law. With a nod to MSNBC newsreader Mika Brzezinski, who as I chronicled here had torn up a Paris Hilton story in protest, Pinkerton ripped a page or two on tonight's show.
FOX NEWS WATCH PANELIST JIM PINKERTON: This speaks to formula, right?. We all know that Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Ritchie are fighting to get the Anna Nicole Smith slot for this year.
FOX NEWS WATCH HOST ERIC BURNS: Nicole Ritchie, who has just been sentenced herself.
PINKERTON: Exactly. I'm going to honor another formula [as he ceremoniously tears the story in two]. That would be Mika Brzezinski on MSNBC and Jack Cafferty on CNN, who refused to read their copy. It might have been a show, it might have been an act for the cameras, but I'm going to do the same thing and see what happens. Because I don't think this is really worth covering on our segment.
View video here.
Burns tried to defend the decision.
BURNS: When stories like this are covered, it is shown that ratings tend to go up. People want to watch this kind of story, as Jane [Hall] said, they want to know about this kind of story. This is a democracy governmentally. Why shouldn't it be a democracy in terms of what television news presents? If people want this, why not give them this in addition to other stories?
Fine. Just don't call it "Fox News Channel," the "CBS Evening News," etc. How about: "The Human Train Wreck Network"?
Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net
—Mark Finkelstein is a NewsBusters contributing editor and host of Right Angle. Contact him at mark@gunhill.net.
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So, Mark, will this extend to the 'Bush is Stupid' Template?
July 28, 2007 - 19:54 ET by acaiguanaSomehow, I think not.
ACA
...
Quoted from: 'Acaiguana Notes from the Bomb Shelter' (soon to be a movie at theaters near you)
How Unique and Courageous
July 28, 2007 - 20:09 ET by stratmanThis was either cheesy bravado or childish play-acting. From the response of the moderator - a non-response - then I'll bet this was discussed ahead of airtime.
Stupid bunch of wannabe's. You're just human teleprompters. Do the job you were paid for and save your "insights" for your therapist.
Killing them with kindness isn't working. Time to get scrappy with the Donkeys.
Read somewhere that Lohan
July 28, 2007 - 21:08 ET by balboaRead somewhere that Lohan is "basically uninsurable" in the entertainment industry, a position usually saved for the wreck-iest of train wrecks, including John Belushi. Mom & Dad should be thrown in jail.
I still find it
July 29, 2007 - 02:23 ET by sarcasmoI still find it highly-amusing that such insurance even exists! The idea that someone already paying me that much would also pay an insurance company to make sure I don't screw-up my life due to being paid that much is a hoot. (I'd want to self-insure and take that check, too!)
And I think the Pinkerton protest would have been more-effective if he had not just complained about the bimbo but quickly changed the subject to something in the news that perhaps deserved watching, but I didn't catch the segment so maybe he did. I can think of a few news items that qualify as more interesting than bimbos.
JMR
Whether this was an act or
July 28, 2007 - 21:15 ET by Dave RWhether this was an act or not, I'm glad it happened, as I have pretty much stopped watcing FNC altogether.
Week-long coverage of Anna Nicole Smith is what finally did it for me. If I get home in time, I try to watch Special Report w/ Britt Hume. Other than that, I'm pretty much through with them, as I am with all TV news.
Help Fred defeat everybody.
Dave R Ditto your comments
July 28, 2007 - 21:38 ET by Cape ConservativeWe've done the same at this house, too. A walk after dinner makes much more sense than watching negative, nonsensical "reporting"...as the newsreaders try to tell us how to understand what they are saying - forget the news and the viewer's ability to figure some things out for themselves! Other than Brit & company, everyone is simply out to get the "get" and top the others.
And I agree, Help Fred defeat everybody!!!!
Cape,
July 28, 2007 - 22:06 ET by Dave RI can get the same amount of information off the net (or the radio) in ten minutes that I get watching a half hour, or more, of TV news. Any TV news. The best part is that I can ignore all the tabloid garbage along the way.
Of course, being in Atlanta, all I've been hearing radio-wise is Michael Vick for nearly a week now, but at least some of that has been interesting.
I think the FNC, with the exception of one program, has utterly lost its way.
Help Fred defeat everybody.
Spot on!
July 28, 2007 - 22:25 ET by BondPlainBondFNC isn't drawing in more viewers with this celebrity gossip crap (Smith, Hilton, Lohan), they're losing viewers. That's why E!Entertainment and Talk Soup were created. I'd much rather have the news, thank you.
I actually agreed with Mika
July 28, 2007 - 21:46 ET by Tom1969caI actually agreed with Mika Brzezinski (probably the first and last time you'll see me type that.) I think tearing up the Hilton story was the best thing that could've been done; these things are not news. Brave young Americans are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan and the nets are taking the time to show a woman who is famous for being famous (and has done little of worth with her life to justify her fame) leaving jail where she served time for a traffic violation. We have a sad set of priorities in our country when this rises to the level of a top news story. The same can be said for Anna Nicole Smith and Lindsay Lohan. If I care, I'll watch Entertainment Tonight or read People magazine.
But I don't care.
~~~
"We can stand here like the French, or we can do something about it."
-- Marge Simpson
Train Wreck Reporting
July 28, 2007 - 22:23 ET by pocomocoIt’s not so much the story, but what the networks do with it.
A typical news report on Scooter Libby looked like this:
Newreader begins the story.
(shows video)
Libby car arrives.
Libby getting out of his car.
Libby walking up the steps to court house.
Libby leaving courthouse.
Libby getting into his car.
Libby car leaves.
Newsreader continues story.
(shows video – loop 1)
Libby car arrives.
Libby getting out of his car.
Libby walking up the steps to court house.
Libby leaving courthouse.
Libby getting into his car.
Libby car leaves.
Newsreader continues story.
(shows video – loop 2)
Libby car arrives.
Libby getting out of his car.
Libby walking up the steps to court house.
Libby leaving courthouse.
Libby getting into his car.
Libby car leaves.
Newsreader continues story.
(shows video – loop 3)
Libby car arrives.
Libby getting out of his car.
Libby walking up the steps to court house.
Libby leaving courthouse.
Libby getting into his car.
Libby car leaves.
Newsreader continues story.
(shows video – loop 4)
Libby car arrives.
Libby getting out of his car.
Libby walking up the steps to court house.
Libby leaving courthouse.
Libby getting into his car.
Libby car leaves.
Newsreader finishes story.
Now, substitute the name of Smith, Lohan, Vick, Bryant, or Ritchie, and that’s what cable networks, like Fox, are putting out 24/7.
Burns says: “If people want this, why not give them this in addition to other stories?”
It would be interesting to do a demographic on just who is watching this trash. I believe they’ll find that it’s the Dr. Phil, Oprah, Maury, Tyra, and Jerry Springer crowd. In other words, the superficial of our society.
Do you have any video
July 28, 2007 - 23:26 ET by Del DolemonteDo you have any video captures of those video loops? I wanted to see if Jason Leopold and/or William Rivers Pitt were there.
I agree with Jim.Better use
July 28, 2007 - 22:25 ET by well99I agree with Jim.Better use of time could of been spend discussing our troops,kids killed by other kids in schools.Oh what do they call it...oh real news.I really could'nt care less about some celibs.I would drather hear about soldiers and other branches of service in Iraq or other real news.I would request they tape Neils mouth.Alls they need for him is a tape recording said Bush,Republicans,right wingers fault.That is his answer to everything.
On ripping
July 28, 2007 - 23:59 ET by UnsaneDid Pinkerton do what he did as an act? Maybe. But the sentiment expressed is one I agree with wholeheartedly.
Turkey just had an interesting past 3-4 months with a snap election. Sarkozy won the French presidency, and surprises me not at all with his fallback on the policies/traditions of Jean-Baptiste Colbert. Japan is facing an upper-house election that may eject Shinzo Abe from office depending on the results for the ruling LDP. Pakistan is showing signs of instability, and Britain quietly got a new prime minister.
But is ANY of that reported over what some stupid spoiled trust-fund brat has done?
Res tantum valet quantum vendi potest.
I think the MSM including
July 29, 2007 - 13:37 ET by ScottyDogI think the MSM including FoxNews are intentionally pushing tabloid journalism to keep Americans dumbed down. I know some will accuse me of promoting a conspiracy theory but it is too much of a coincidence that all the News programs are doing the same thing.
I do not for minute believe the ratings are driving the choices they put on the news. Just look at the ratings Lou Dobbs has garnered for actually covering the Illegal Immigration crisis in this country and he is the only one that has even broached the North American Union being pushed by the Bush Administration.
He rarely if ever covers any of the Paris Hilton crap yet his ratings have skyrocketed.
Is this Mexico or the USA
ScottyD... I agree with
July 29, 2007 - 19:23 ET by bigtimerScottyD...
I agree with your sentiments.
Sickeningly pathetic is it not?