"Clarity" continued...

In Bill Bradley's most recent book, The New American Story, it is reported that in June 2004, CNN, Fox News, NBC, MSNBC, ABC, and CBS collectively ran fifty-five as many stories about Michael Jackson as they did about the genocide in Darfur. In 2004, ABC covered the crisis in Darfur for a total of 18 minutes. These statistics are clear evidence that 24 hours of news is a lot of time, that the news networks have plenty of air time to report the stories their producers feel will draw the biggest audiences in the key demographics.

It's a damn shame.

I believe that the desire to attract the biggest-paying advertisers is what is driving these news networks to report fluff stories -- stories that are supposed to draw the young, middle class consumers that advertisers crave.

I believe that 24 hours of news is too much, that the 24-hour news cycle entices news networks to focus on providing reactions to breaking news, rather than thoughtful analysis of current events. And I believe that unless the way people get their news changes, humanity will continue its movement away from feeling and thoughtfulness and toward numbness and ambivalence.