Comments on: Frontline of TV still pale imitation http://importanceofideas.com/2009/01/19/tv-on-the-frontline-still-a-pale-imitation/ Engaged in the big (and small) ideas on media + society Sat, 12 Jun 2010 13:10:57 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: WP Themes http://importanceofideas.com/2009/01/19/tv-on-the-frontline-still-a-pale-imitation/comment-page-1/#comment-8598 WP Themes Sat, 12 Jun 2010 13:10:57 +0000 http://importanceofideas.com/?p=299#comment-8598 Good brief and this fill someone in on helped me alot in my college assignement. Say thank you you on your information. Good brief and this fill someone in on helped me alot in my college assignement. Say thank you you on your information.

]]> By: Incompetence, not net, kills media | importance of ideas... http://importanceofideas.com/2009/01/19/tv-on-the-frontline-still-a-pale-imitation/comment-page-1/#comment-265 Incompetence, not net, kills media | importance of ideas... Sun, 22 Mar 2009 02:51:20 +0000 http://importanceofideas.com/?p=299#comment-265 [...] Frontline of TV still pale imitation [...] [...] Frontline of TV still pale imitation [...]

]]> By: Wendy http://importanceofideas.com/2009/01/19/tv-on-the-frontline-still-a-pale-imitation/comment-page-1/#comment-16 Wendy Tue, 20 Jan 2009 04:10:18 +0000 http://importanceofideas.com/?p=299#comment-16 hey thanks for adding me! You have also been added to mine also...."lively" that's nice! I'm excited that I'm getting a design makeover very soon as well!! I'm enjoying your pieces a lot. Nice to have some good reading to break up the working day! hey thanks for adding me! You have also been added to mine also….”lively” that’s nice! I’m excited that I’m getting a design makeover very soon as well!!

I’m enjoying your pieces a lot. Nice to have some good reading to break up the working day!

]]> By: Jason Whittaker http://importanceofideas.com/2009/01/19/tv-on-the-frontline-still-a-pale-imitation/comment-page-1/#comment-15 Jason Whittaker Tue, 20 Jan 2009 04:00:31 +0000 http://importanceofideas.com/?p=299#comment-15 You're forgiven, Wendy. Hard to be particularly eloquent on the run between tasks. Very easy to pick on those who watch these programs regularly, I suppose. It's light entertainment - and that's what most of us want at that hour of the day. The deception is in calling it news - it most certainly is not. And the worry, as you say, is if that is ALL the 'current affairs' you might consume. Certainly evidence to suggest that is the case; I know studies have been done in the US showing the only news a lot of the younger generation are exposed to is via Jay Leno, Jon Stewart, etc. Though the way social media feeds off traditional news sources may have changed that....? (Have added your lively little site to my blogroll - very much appreciate your support in my fledgling little venture.) You’re forgiven, Wendy. Hard to be particularly eloquent on the run between tasks.

Very easy to pick on those who watch these programs regularly, I suppose. It’s light entertainment – and that’s what most of us want at that hour of the day.

The deception is in calling it news – it most certainly is not. And the worry, as you say, is if that is ALL the ‘current affairs’ you might consume. Certainly evidence to suggest that is the case; I know studies have been done in the US showing the only news a lot of the younger generation are exposed to is via Jay Leno, Jon Stewart, etc. Though the way social media feeds off traditional news sources may have changed that….?

(Have added your lively little site to my blogroll – very much appreciate your support in my fledgling little venture.)

]]> By: Wendy http://importanceofideas.com/2009/01/19/tv-on-the-frontline-still-a-pale-imitation/comment-page-1/#comment-14 Wendy Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:07:54 +0000 http://importanceofideas.com/?p=299#comment-14 rereading my comment and cringing at my poor grammar...i wrote this at work while doing other things at the same time! very naughty!! rereading my comment and cringing at my poor grammar…i wrote this at work while doing other things at the same time! very naughty!!

]]> By: websinthe http://importanceofideas.com/2009/01/19/tv-on-the-frontline-still-a-pale-imitation/comment-page-1/#comment-13 websinthe Tue, 20 Jan 2009 02:00:51 +0000 http://importanceofideas.com/?p=299#comment-13 It's a shame that there are enough people watching these shows that the influence of the dribble they report might actually have an economic effect. It’s a shame that there are enough people watching these shows that the influence of the dribble they report might actually have an economic effect.

]]> By: Wendy http://importanceofideas.com/2009/01/19/tv-on-the-frontline-still-a-pale-imitation/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Wendy Tue, 20 Jan 2009 01:34:10 +0000 http://importanceofideas.com/?p=299#comment-12 It would nice to think that the audiences for these programs are watching them ironically as "info-tainment dross" but from my informal conversations with some viewers it seems that many still take them as what they purport to be...serious current affairs. Sadly, I think that the continuation of these programs in seven and nine's schedule is driven by a ratings imperative, as well as a disinclination to try any harder to actually offer its viewers what we might consider serious current affairs, or indeed to experiment with new formats more suitable to the contemporary changes in the television landscape. Certainly there is perhaps an apathy in certain viewers to turn off following the news...i.e. leave the channel on until home and away appears. An engaged democracy is a nice concept but I just don't know if the place to find it is in what commercial television tells us current affairs. maybe the place to look for an engaged democracy on television is the other sites it offers - like Frontline did in the 1990s. Those programs that engage with the various aspects of our culture in a critical way - whether it be through comedy, drama or some other televisual mode. Perhaps also the decline in viewer interest in what we would consider serious current affairs is telling us that this mode of television is of a bygone age...perhaps programs like The chaser is now where many viewers learn about world events...rather than traditional modes of news and current affairs reporting. Just thoughts! :) It would nice to think that the audiences for these programs are watching them ironically as “info-tainment dross” but from my informal conversations with some viewers it seems that many still take them as what they purport to be…serious current affairs.
Sadly, I think that the continuation of these programs in seven and nine’s schedule is driven by a ratings imperative, as well as a disinclination to try any harder to actually offer its viewers what we might consider serious current affairs, or indeed to experiment with new formats more suitable to the contemporary changes in the television landscape. Certainly there is perhaps an apathy in certain viewers to turn off following the news…i.e. leave the channel on until home and away appears.
An engaged democracy is a nice concept but I just don’t know if the place to find it is in what commercial television tells us current affairs. maybe the place to look for an engaged democracy on television is the other sites it offers – like Frontline did in the 1990s. Those programs that engage with the various aspects of our culture in a critical way – whether it be through comedy, drama or some other televisual mode. Perhaps also the decline in viewer interest in what we would consider serious current affairs is telling us that this mode of television is of a bygone age…perhaps programs like The chaser is now where many viewers learn about world events…rather than traditional modes of news and current affairs reporting.
Just thoughts! :)

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