In making the mistake of tuning in to the 6 p.m. local newscasts on Tuesday, Nov. 13, I recognized anew that “news” is in the eye of the beholder. All three major local stations carried as the top story the injury of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the individual who is apparently the most important person in the world, having completely rehabilitated himself from where he stood just two years ago. The story of his injury apparently was deemed more newsworthy than the widening scandal involving disgraced Central Intelligence Agency Director David Petraeus or any other event of consequence.
I recognize that I am the odd man out in this region as one who has no concern about the fortunes of the Steelers, Mr. Roethlisberger, or anything involving the violent sport of football, but I would like to believe that a newscast will be just that, not a program devoted primarily to entertainment or sports.
I suppose I cannot blame local television stations, which simply reflect what the people want. What we want is a sad phenomenon.
At least C-SPAN remains a provider of pure and unadulterated news, information, and informed opinion for the individual who wishes to know what is going on in our world.
I'll give you credit, Oren, you are a Crusader---even when tilting at windmills.
You know, a 15 minute segment on Roethlisberger's latest injury, followed by a brief segment on an asteroid heading to earth that will destroy the planet in 12 hours. Local news has been a joke for many, many years. Without shootings, traffic reports. fires, and 15 minute weather forecasts( half an hour if an inch of snow is predicted), and, of course, sports, it would be at a loss as to what to broadcast. I exaggerate, of course, but local news is the same crap, no matter where you are in this country, all determined by what the station's consultants say will attract viewers.
And yes an injury to a major active sports figure of a local team is news. You might not like or agree with it but that doesn't dispel the fact it is news.