|
the spiral
Neuroscientist
Registered: 05/13/02
Posts: 1,769
Last seen: 8 years, 8 months
|
Election Night Cable News Graphics
#13424476 - 11/02/10 04:35 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
I'm watching cable news right now (MSNBC if you must know,) and I'm struck by the extraordinary graphics they are using; lots of 3D-appearing computer generated stuff - it's rather pretty. I fail to see the POINT - why did they spend the enormous sums of money they had to have spent in order to have these graphics? Do people really think that the information they get from cable news is somehow better because it's wrapped up in pretty graphics?
I wonder if anchors and news corporations are relying more and more on their fancy eye-candy, and less and less on quality, intelligent analysis by reliable, smart, talented people. They could recycle the same graphics they used two years ago and have saved a lot of money without affecting the QUALITY and ACCURACY of the information they present. Maybe they're compensating for something ....
This is a trend that has been going on for a while, but which I seem to recall started most fervently with Fox News. Back when I would watch that channel (I used to listen to Sean Hannity's radio show too - I enjoyed that the programming was able to infuriate me so) I remember that they had all sorts of flashy graphics that CNN and MSNBC simply didn't have. Are we really so shallow a people that whichever channel has the best eye-candy is the one that we're more likely to watch?
I've been puzzling quite a bit over this - it had to be extremely expensive to put this stuff I'm seeing right now together, but they had to think that the cost would be offset by some benefit all the flashiness would provide - ratings is all I can think of, and if their analysis was correct - that flashy graphics would increase viewership significantly enough for it to be worth throwing gobs of money at their programmers - then what does that say about cable viewers? Whatever it is, it probably isn't good.
Well, at least someone (the programmers) is making money in this economy
-------------------- "A celibate clergy is an especially good idea, because it tends to suppress any hereditary propensity toward fanaticism." - Carl Sagan
|
The_Ghost
ゴースト
Registered: 03/27/07
Posts: 15,802
Loc: USG Ishimura
Last seen: 1 year, 1 month
|
Re: Election Night Cable News Graphics [Re: the spiral]
#13424490 - 11/02/10 04:37 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
the spiral said: I'm watching cable news right now (MSNBC if you must know,) and I'm struck by the extraordinary graphics they are using; lots of 3D-appearing computer generated stuff - it's rather pretty. I fail to see the POINT
I think you see the point just fine:
Quote:
I wonder if anchors and news corporations are relying more and more on their fancy eye-candy, and less and less on quality, intelligent analysis by reliable, smart, talented people.
Question is, why do you watch?
-------------------- / / / / / / / LISTEN TO MY MUSIC: E X E D / / / / / / / The universe gives no fucks. And takes no fucks. May His Circuits Ever Function
|
mikeisapro
Pro
Registered: 12/04/08
Posts: 3,206
Last seen: 7 years, 12 days
|
Re: Election Night Cable News Graphics [Re: the spiral]
#13424497 - 11/02/10 04:38 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Yeah Fox definitely has a lot of graphics and shit, but you are forgetting about the human eye-candy. All the fucking anchors are "attractive" Fox has more "attractive" people than the other ones I think
-------------------- Life without drugs lacks substance(s).
|
the spiral
Neuroscientist
Registered: 05/13/02
Posts: 1,769
Last seen: 8 years, 8 months
|
Re: Election Night Cable News Graphics [Re: The_Ghost]
#13424540 - 11/02/10 04:45 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
The_Ghost said:
Quote:
the spiral said: I'm watching cable news right now (MSNBC if you must know,) and I'm struck by the extraordinary graphics they are using; lots of 3D-appearing computer generated stuff - it's rather pretty. I fail to see the POINT
I think you see the point just fine:
I can speculate on the point of it all, sure. I was speaking rhetorically there anyway.
Edit: Nevermind, I misunderstood what you were saying. My bad!
Quote:
Quote:
I wonder if anchors and news corporations are relying more and more on their fancy eye-candy, and less and less on quality, intelligent analysis by reliable, smart, talented people.
Question is, why do you watch?
Because I want to know the outcome of the elections.
Edited by the spiral (11/02/10 04:55 PM)
|
The_Ghost
ゴースト
Registered: 03/27/07
Posts: 15,802
Loc: USG Ishimura
Last seen: 1 year, 1 month
|
Re: Election Night Cable News Graphics [Re: mikeisapro]
#13424545 - 11/02/10 04:45 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
-------------------- / / / / / / / LISTEN TO MY MUSIC: E X E D / / / / / / / The universe gives no fucks. And takes no fucks. May His Circuits Ever Function
|
The_Ghost
ゴースト
Registered: 03/27/07
Posts: 15,802
Loc: USG Ishimura
Last seen: 1 year, 1 month
|
Re: Election Night Cable News Graphics [Re: the spiral]
#13424557 - 11/02/10 04:47 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
the spiral said:
Quote:
The_Ghost said:
Question is, why do you watch?
Because I want to know the outcome of the elections.
The internet is far more efficient for that, without boosting the news show ratings.
-------------------- / / / / / / / LISTEN TO MY MUSIC: E X E D / / / / / / / The universe gives no fucks. And takes no fucks. May His Circuits Ever Function
|
Adamist
ℚṲℰϟ✞ЇѺℵ ℛ∃Åʟḯ†У
Registered: 11/23/01
Posts: 10,211
Loc: Bloomington, IN
Last seen: 9 years, 28 days
|
Re: Election Night Cable News Graphics [Re: the spiral]
#13424559 - 11/02/10 04:47 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
I have a hunch OP was pretty baked when he came to these realizations.
-------------------- { { { ṧ◎ηḯ¢ αʟ¢ℌ℮мƴ } } }
|
DeadHearts
Registered: 07/17/09
Posts: 21,827
Loc: MICHIGAN
|
Re: Election Night Cable News Graphics [Re: The_Ghost]
#13424560 - 11/02/10 04:47 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
The_Ghost said:
|
ifoundwaldo
Registered: 09/28/10
Posts: 8,389
Loc: Denver, CO
|
Re: Election Night Cable News Graphics [Re: The_Ghost]
#13424564 - 11/02/10 04:48 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Well, to be fair, with computer applications as advanced as they are these days... It's not very difficult to whip up those pretty graphics that you see on cable news.
The lack of content is the core of the issue here. And another issue entirely IMHO.
I, for one, do not choose my news based on pretty graphics.
--------------------
|
The_Ghost
ゴースト
Registered: 03/27/07
Posts: 15,802
Loc: USG Ishimura
Last seen: 1 year, 1 month
|
Re: Election Night Cable News Graphics [Re: ifoundwaldo]
#13424572 - 11/02/10 04:49 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Its all a game show. Game shows tend to have pretty colors/graphics as to add more entertainment value.. people like pretty colors.
-------------------- / / / / / / / LISTEN TO MY MUSIC: E X E D / / / / / / / The universe gives no fucks. And takes no fucks. May His Circuits Ever Function
|
the spiral
Neuroscientist
Registered: 05/13/02
Posts: 1,769
Last seen: 8 years, 8 months
|
Re: Election Night Cable News Graphics [Re: Adamist]
#13424580 - 11/02/10 04:51 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Adamist said: I have a hunch OP was pretty baked when he came to these realizations.
Damn, busted! haha
And I think the point I was really driving at got lost in my rambling. I was pointing to all the graphics and flashiness and questioning whether we're trading quality of reporting for eye-candy.
As for using the web to find out the election results, sure I could do that. It's not as easy as just switching on the TV and having them tell me, though. Then I'm free to ignore them and do other stuff on my PC.
-------------------- "A celibate clergy is an especially good idea, because it tends to suppress any hereditary propensity toward fanaticism." - Carl Sagan
Edited by the spiral (11/02/10 04:52 PM)
|
The_Ghost
ゴースト
Registered: 03/27/07
Posts: 15,802
Loc: USG Ishimura
Last seen: 1 year, 1 month
|
Re: Election Night Cable News Graphics [Re: the spiral]
#13424609 - 11/02/10 04:57 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
the spiral said:
Quote:
Adamist said: I have a hunch OP was pretty baked when he came to these realizations.
Damn, busted! haha
And I think the point I was really driving at got lost in my rambling. I was pointing to all the graphics and flashiness and questioning whether we're trading quality of reporting for eye-candy.
As for using the web to find out the election results, sure I could do that. It's not as easy as just switching on the TV and having them tell me, though. Then I'm free to ignore them and do other stuff on my PC.
"Hear us tell you some actual information - Tonight at 11!" (inb4:500 commercials and 600 instances of them stalling and dragging out useless obvious facts that you probably already knew about, followed by carefully selected bits of info which will be regurgitated over and over again for at least another 5 hours after being mentioned)
I quit that noise a while back.
-------------------- / / / / / / / LISTEN TO MY MUSIC: E X E D / / / / / / / The universe gives no fucks. And takes no fucks. May His Circuits Ever Function
|
the spiral
Neuroscientist
Registered: 05/13/02
Posts: 1,769
Last seen: 8 years, 8 months
|
Re: Election Night Cable News Graphics [Re: The_Ghost]
#13424668 - 11/02/10 05:05 PM (13 years, 4 months ago) |
|
|
I don't disagree at all with your criticism of the cable news outlets, Ghost. The reason I bother is because all I have to do is hit the power button and let them drone on and on. 90% of what they say is meaningless BS to fill time, but there's that 10% of the time that I hear something that's actually useful.
If cable news was the only place I got information from, I'd be very poorly informed, I'm rather certain of that. Having the talking heads engage in verbal masturbation at the periphery of my consciousness isn't so bad, though. And the graphics are pretty! haha
Edit: Plus they make crazy projections based on less than 10% of ballots counted. They're projecting Rand Paul as the winner in Kentucky based on 9% of ballots. He probably really is the winner, but still... it seems kinda premature to be making that declaration.
it reminds me of 2000, with the different news outlets declaring different winners
-------------------- "A celibate clergy is an especially good idea, because it tends to suppress any hereditary propensity toward fanaticism." - Carl Sagan
Edited by the spiral (11/02/10 05:08 PM)
|
|