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‘Pimp My News’ Part 1: Hard Hitting News
By Lerone D. Wilson | July 14, 2007
In light of Michael Moore recently criticizing CNN for distorting the news, I for one would like to stand up for CNN. CNN is in fact catering to our interests and desires for news. If they falsify it (and I’m not saying they do, but if they did) it’s only because thats what we want. Isn’t that was ‘pimping’ is all about? Hit shows like ‘Pimp My Ride‘ have taught us that no matter how lame our possessions may be, we always have the option to ‘pimp’ them and make them into what we want. News is no exception. I will demonstrate how CNN among others have managed to do just this in a series entitled ‘Pimp My News’.
CNN wasn’t always the ‘most trusted name in news’. In fact, in the beginning it was downright awful. Of course the news industry was a lot different back on June 1, 1980 when CNN first hit the airwaves. Below is a video of the first 30 seconds CNN spent on the air. See if you can spot where they got it wrong.
There are 3 major errors here that I would’ve called ‘detrimental’ to the network’s longevity if I had watched this in 1980. First of all, what is this program called? Whats the angle? If modern news has taught us anything it’s that there cant just be ‘news’. I just can’t have someone report on whats happening, I need, nay I demand, someone I trust to put just the right spin on things.
News is art, not science, which is why I need Bill O’Reilly or Anderson Cooper to bring me the news as only they can deliver, through hard hitting shows such as ‘THE OREILLY FACTOR’, or ‘AC: 360′. See what a difference that makes? Would you rather watch ‘the news’ or ‘WOLF BLITZER REPORTS’? The hard hitting title is the first indicator that hard hitting news is to follow.It’s not enough to simply give me straightforward facts, I need someone that I trust to interpret them, and tell me how I should feel about them.
This is why CNN made such a terrible mistake in having the anchors tell me their names, and move on to the news. Who are these people? Why are you telling me these things? Modern news has taught us that your news team is essentially a sports team. I don’t go out and randomly pick a team to root for. Nor do I root for a team in which I don’t know who the players are. Putting a man behind a desk doesn’t make me believe him. I have to believe he can, and wants to defeat the rival team. As the following clip demonstrates, modern, ‘hard hitting’ news understands that.
But what exactly is ‘hard hitting news’?Hard hitting news is about emotion. I don’t need to know whats going on, as long as I know that something is going on, and I should feel some way about it. However before my trusted news man tells me how I should feel, I have to feel that it’s inherently important to begin with - which is why CNN went so wrong with their inaugural newscast.After introducing themselves, the newscasters just move straight forward with the facts. Wheres the mood? Wheres the action?
The single most important component of ‘hard hitting news’ are the video lead ins. Without them I have no indication that news is important and/or emotional.The following is an international montage of the various fully pimped out bumpers CNN is currently using. They have learned quite a bit throughout the past 26 years. They have finally accepted that it’s not so important what news follows the video lead in, because the viewer already knows that CNN is trusted, powerful, and looking out for all of us.
With such an all powerful media god at the helm, who cares if what they are saying is true, or fair? We, the viewers of America simply want to know that important things are happening, and someone, somewhere cares about them.
Topics: Media/Politics |