I've been in advertising for over 20 years and let me tell you advertisers "watch" where their advertising dollars go. When the likes of a Glenn Beck call the President a racist, it causes viewership trouble and advertisers pull out - not only because of the perceived association with the remarks but because there might be a problem with ratings. Rarely does a show "shoot up" in ratings because of a fire...they may short term as folks tune in to see what the ruckus is about....but after they do, they generally leave.
Now we have had two Fox News "inadvertent mistakes" in a week. Let me remind you that the folks in the control rooms of major cable networks usually don't get things wrong...and when a script emphasises "footage" you can darn well be sure that things were checked.
You can't watch the news and have to wonder if the stuff you are seeing in background to illustrate the story is real or not.
This isn't Sarah's fault. Frankly it is our fault. Journalism, or what passes for it nowadays, is given special status in the constitution. The obligation is to "get it right" and don't hide fabrications behind a constitutional protection. Truth is too important.
Comments
Post a Comment