Friends, Americans and countrymen: lend me your eyes.
I have come to criticize cable news, not to praise it.
Cable news’ news values and its assignment editors don’t look like they’re doing too well as America heads further into the 21st century. To put it precisely: the greatest generation of journalists, they ain’t.
The biggest international story of the day (the year?) broke on June 23, 2023 when Russia’s Wagner mercinary chief Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeniy Prigozhin said Russia’s war in Ukraine was based on lies and declared war on the Russian leadership, saying Wagner forces would destroy it. Russia ordered Prigozhin’s arrests on mutiny charges, while the Wagner group reportedly began advancing on cities.
The biggest cable news networks carried the story but remained focused on a parade of interviews on the tragic implosion of the Titan submerisble, which killed five people including the company’s CEO.
There used to be a saying in the days when print media was dominant: If it bleeds, it leads. Cable news seemingly has a saying: If it implodes, viewership explodes.
It wasn’t that cable was totally ignoring the story. But cable seemed unable to rearrange its priorities in the initial hours that the story broke to give it the priority it deserved.
Perhaps a referesher course in Journalism 101 might help. But cable’s Russian coup-attempt coverage was a reminder that many years ago broadcast news ceased being a cherished stewardship and became big bucks entertainment business.
Too bad CNN self-immolated just when we needed it.
— Bruce Bartlett (@BruceBartlett) June 24, 2023
Reminder to everyone looking to cable news for Russia coverage:
1) @CNN virtually dismantled their International division, formerly Atlanta based.
2) Actual news gathering is expensive, Talking head opinion is practically free.
1/
— Charlie Harper (@CharlieBHarper) June 24, 2023
In summary: Realize that real news is happening, and the "news" networks aren't prepared to cover it. It doesn't pay their bills. Each audience segment they cater to for outrage does. They're delivering exactly what this market demands of them. And it isn't news.
/end
— Charlie Harper (@CharlieBHarper) June 24, 2023
Difficult for those who didn't live in that world to imagine 4 to 6 U.S. networks with multiple fully-staffed bureaus around the world.
Breaking international news stories would deliver live, updated satellite reporting by veteran reporters who disdained punditry.
Gone & missed. https://t.co/Pzcr8Pd9vj— Michael Socolow (@MichaelSocolow) June 24, 2023
I couldn't agree more. There's a potential global event happening RIGHT NOW in Russia. @CNN in the cable age would have live wall to wall coverage. Pre-cable, @ABC @CBSNews & @NBCNews would have interrupted scheduled programming. No wonder our society grows dumber & dumber. https://t.co/KVTZj7V1cS
— EddieDexter, King? of Jinglings ? (@EddieDexter) June 24, 2023
Some wild stuff is happening in Russia right now and cable news is sitting on their butts.
CNN is talking about the Titan sub
MSNBC is talking about Trump
Fox is talking about retail theft in Democrat citiesTurn off cable news people, it’s poison for your brain.
— Art Allen (@artallen8) June 23, 2023
Both CNN and MSNBC have had some good reports, but yeah, this is a big deal, and that Titanic story…isn't. https://t.co/2RMAJuBmPG
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) June 24, 2023
Me: Wow! What’s going on in Russia? Inform me cable news.
Cable news: Hey have you heard about this submarine?
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) June 24, 2023
The lack of live, journalist-centered, real-time coverage of what’s taking place in Russia right now on the national cable networks is a real indictment of what they’ve too often become (or in certain instances have always been)— pundit-centered, pre-produced commentary channels.
— Jason Fechner ?? (@jasonfechner) June 24, 2023
Russia: melting down in a possible coup
Cable news: still doing 24/7 submarine punditry
— Elizabeth Beavers (@_ElizabethRB) June 24, 2023
Kind of feels like this should be all they are covering right now…if you’re a news network it doesn’t get more newsy. https://t.co/skEtDZCFNm
— Chris Murphy ? (@ChrisMurphyCT) June 24, 2023
Why doesn’t Jeff Bezos buy @CNN from @wbd ? He would be a better owner and they should make @AmanpourCoPBS the president to restore journalistic integrity https://t.co/MJtxqRqWsq
— georgiaguy8 (@georgiaguy8) June 24, 2023
So we just don’t have serious international news reporting anymore? Brilliant.
— Sherrilyn Ifill (@SIfill_) June 24, 2023
Russia: melting down in a possible coup
Cable news: still doing 24/7 submarine punditry
— Elizabeth Beavers (@_ElizabethRB) June 24, 2023
Not a single news broadcaster on cable TV tonight in the US is covering what's taking place in Russia. This is why #cableTV news networks cant compete with live reporting from the Internet. Cable TV news networks are pointlesshttps://t.co/KA7LinHKkA – #cordcutting #broadcasters
— Dan Rayburn (@DanRayburn) June 24, 2023
Some sort of semi coup in Russia and all I can find on cable news channels is sub coverage. come on.
— Michael Evenchik (@Jewlympian) June 24, 2023
if this is a real side-by-side comparison, then I agree that cable news is almost worthless as a source of news.
Yes I know what is going on in Russia is spinach for the audience. But TV used to at least make a point of saying stuff was too important to ignore. https://t.co/eaynGRM3f2
— Dilan Esper (@dilanesper) June 24, 2023
URGENT: Why isn't your cable program BREAKING into the crisis in Russia right now? Wagner group reportedly heading to Moscow and troops have been called into Russia for protection.
— Dr. Mike Davis ? (@FrankMikeDavis1) June 23, 2023
I’ve found more info on what’s occurring in Russia on this app than I have on cable news. I understand there’s likely much confusion but I can’t find any coverage.
— lisa S Marie?Y (@frequentbuyer1) June 23, 2023
And this is why I don't bother with cable news. There may be a #coup unfolding in Russia and all three American channels are just going forward with whatever nonsense they were gonna talk about before.
Fox News is running "TIKTOK MADE MY DAUGHTER TRANS", which feels like parody.
— Michael Kohler ???? (@thekohler) June 23, 2023
I watch cable news when something serious like this is going down, but CNN is covering the Titan. I feel awful for the 19yr old, but the rest knew what they were getting into, pretty much. Let's move on to Russia, you bumbling idiots.
— ZuZu Bailey ?? ? (@Justlove3332) June 24, 2023
Russia and Wagner are all over European press and the Times and Post and the BBC but not yet US cable news yet. Such syncopation.
— Jeff (Gutenberg Parenthesis) Jarvis (@jeffjarvis) June 23, 2023
At a point when there is open conflict over control of a nuclear power (#Russia has 5,889 warheads; the world’s largest stockpile), U.S. cable TV networks are still chasing after lesser stories. Don’t know what @CNN and @MSNBC think they’re doing, but it is definitely not news.
— John Blaine’s Ghost (@JohnBlaine2020) June 24, 2023
Difficult for those who didn't live in that world to imagine 4 to 6 U.S. networks with multiple fully-staffed bureaus around the world. — Michael Socolow (@MichaelSocolow)
Breaking international news stories would deliver live, updated satellite reporting by veteran reporters who disdained punditry.
Gone & missed. https://t.co/Pzcr8Pd9vj
Image: Dreamstime
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.