Coverage of the oil containment. This is news?
Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2010 3:34 pm
Quick, turn on your favorite cable news program. It doesnt matter which one.
They are showing you images of the oil well.
They say:
"Look at the closed oil well. Wow. A few hours ago, that thing was really gushing.
Hey! What's that thing they put on there? Do you think a robot arm is meant to turn that screw doo-hickey right there? Look at this pressure gauge. It looks like it says "3000"...
What is that gauge measuring? Hmm.. Do you know, odious talking head next to me?"
"No, I don't know what that gauge is measuring. Probably oil pressure or something."
"Very interesting."
So. This is what "news" is these days? They point a camera at something and then everybody just kind of runs their mouth in a wierd stream of consciousness babble? They speculate wide and rangy about things they have no idea about, or in what context they might be important?
There is no doubt that plugging that gusher may have been the most important thing that happened today in the world, but do you think people might try to wrap their brains around it a bit, maybe try to understand it in context, before putting some ass-hat in a suit in front of the camera? Maybe then he could sum it up nicely, comment on the implications, give us insight into the future plan for the well and then go on to cover other news...
They are showing you images of the oil well.
They say:
"Look at the closed oil well. Wow. A few hours ago, that thing was really gushing.
Hey! What's that thing they put on there? Do you think a robot arm is meant to turn that screw doo-hickey right there? Look at this pressure gauge. It looks like it says "3000"...
What is that gauge measuring? Hmm.. Do you know, odious talking head next to me?"
"No, I don't know what that gauge is measuring. Probably oil pressure or something."
"Very interesting."
So. This is what "news" is these days? They point a camera at something and then everybody just kind of runs their mouth in a wierd stream of consciousness babble? They speculate wide and rangy about things they have no idea about, or in what context they might be important?
There is no doubt that plugging that gusher may have been the most important thing that happened today in the world, but do you think people might try to wrap their brains around it a bit, maybe try to understand it in context, before putting some ass-hat in a suit in front of the camera? Maybe then he could sum it up nicely, comment on the implications, give us insight into the future plan for the well and then go on to cover other news...