I've got CNN on in the background in my office, and the open (the opening video/voiceover sequence) to Rick Sanchez' new(ish) show is EXACTLY the same as the intros he used to record as the main anchor at WSVN 7 (the Fox affiliate) in Miami when I worked there 13 years ago. WSVN is credited with being the station that pioneered the tabloid-style, fast-paced video and graphics we're accustomed to seeing more often than not in TV news today. As I read stories like this about CNN revamping and retooling, I can't help but note that it's blatantly obvious to those of us who know TV well that CNN is not just chasing Fox but trying to be Fox...
...in a ridiculous, old school, been there done that sort of way.
2 comments:
I am an avid CNN viewer, though I watch Rachel Maddow often and Keith Olbermann some in the evenings on MSNBC. I get angry at the TV a lot with CNN because, to me, they will never succeed with this approach. I find their reporting to be the most even-handed, but also the laziest. Further, reporting both sides of the story equally is not always good reporting if one side is blatantly wrong.
To me, CNN should ditch all the spinmeisters that say nothing of value, stop with the worthless gimmicks, tell Wolf and others to discontinue referring to themselves as "the best political team" blah, blah, blah (it's annoying as all hell), and just return to reporting the news. I think people, outside of FOX junkies who do not want information, are hungry for news that does not speak down to them and insult their intelligence.
Oh, and, two other peeves of mine:
1) It is no longer Breaking News two hours after it has broken, let alone a day later, and ...
2) There is virtually no story that should monopolize news coverage. Something major (Haiti, Katrina, 9-11, Iraq invasion) deserves more time than usual. But, in an hour, give us 25% of the major event, at most, and continue to report on other happenings.
Thank you Ms. Schechner for writing an excellent article that shares your news expertise.
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