I agree with much of what has been said, but I wanted to add one more observation. From my perspective, none of the four events being discussed -- 9/11 commemoration, Kardashian interview, opening ceremonies, or Phelps interview -- should be considered news. I'm not even as strict in my definition of 'news' as Kevin was last week (I *do* think that Obama/Romney's speeches at the conventions were news events, in particular), but to me it seems that all four of these things are entertainment events and, if anything I think a case could be made that the Phelps interview is the closest to news that we get.
So while I am all in favor of lamenting the fact that the networks prioritize entertainment for the masses over serious news coverage (something which, as PGage points out, is hardly novel to complain about at this point) I really don't see how that is relevant to either of these discussions. I can totally understand why some people might prefer to have seen more of Boyle's ceremony than to see yet another Michael Phelps interview, but NBC clearly believed (whether they were right or wrong) that more people were interested in Phelps. And I don't really get the moral high ground that some people took at that time. Similarly, while some folks may have preferred 9/11 memorials to the typical Today Show fare (although for the life of me I don't fully understand why anyone would want either and wouldnt just switch channels entirely, but I digress...), I really don't see the argument that it was more newsworthy. dg -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
