As Cable Networks Nose-Dive, It’s All Zimmerman, All of the Time
A few weeks ago, I flipped on the TV in mid-morning, something I don’t usually do. Egypt was on the verge of a coup, and I was in need of an update. I turned to CNN, where I worked for 17 years, and saw wall-to-wall coverage of the George Zimmerman trial. Fox News and MSNBC offered the same, and the broadcast networks offered me “The View,” “Doctor Oz,” and “The Price Is Right.”
Mind you, obsessive coverage of show trials is nothing new. The O.J. Simpson case hijacked the cable newscasts (then only CNN) nearly 20 years ago and held them for over a year. But the Zimmerman trial, on the heels of the Jodi Arias trial, the Casey Anthony trial and dozens more mark a real turning point.
Our news networks have lost their way in covering news. The day for cable news playing a constructive role in reporting truly important human events is over. They’re now competing to amuse you and me. The amusement takes many odd forms, from a show trial, to a car chase, to iPhone video of a parking lot slugfest, to royal babies and the Kardashians.
More: As Cable Networks Nose-Dive, It’s All Zimmerman, All of the Time - Wire TV - the Sacramento Bee