Bieber-gate Breaks The News
If you were watching any of the major news networks this is probably what you saw – reporters cutting away from news to a breaking news story in Miami. MSNBC was talking to a Congresswoman about the NSA, RT was showing a live feed of the protests in Ukraine, Foxnews… well they’re news coverage probably improved. But that’s beside the point.
The ‘BREAKING NEWS’ story was that a 19 year old Canadian pop heart-throb was arrested for drag racing his quarter million dollar sports car while intoxicated through the streets of Miami.
Yes. The ‘Bieb’ (Justin Bieber) was arrested and then very quickly let go on a $2500 bond.
Was the breaking news used as a chance to discuss the two tier justice system we have in America? No. Of course not. It was just the news media’s chance to take a day off from such internationally important stories as ‘Bridge-gate’ or whatever ‘gate’ that Fox has currently going. Meanwhile the rest of the world went on. Important discussions on the NSA were happening, Ukraine was burning and another American state took a step towards equal rights. Were any of these important enough to break away from celeb gossip? Unfortunately not.
I don’t blame this on the reporters, they have someone screaming in their ear to break away from whatever they’re doing. In the clip above you can almost physically feel the disdain that Andrea Mitchell has as she asks a Congresswoman to stop talking so she can read a teleprompter script explaining why they’re looking at a Florida court judge. People will argue that the networks give us what we want – and we want celebrity train wrecks. Lohan, Bieber, Hilton or whoever. We like seeing the rich fall… even as we buy scratch off lotto tickets and dream of joining them. Unfortunately what was once contained to TMZ, Entertainment Tonight and Inside Edition now has invaded what we used to consider as ‘the news.’ I know this started a long time ago but it’s time we tried to take a stand.
Ok, well before I go on some Broadcast News or Newsnight death of journalism rant, here’s some stories that on a normal day might have gotten coverage.
Some Things Happened with the NSA and Edward Snowden
- The Guardian reports: US privacy board dissenters defend balancing act of NSA surveillance
- The Guardian reports: The US hints at a plea deal with Edward Snowden
- Edward Snowden does a live chat.
Sh*t’s Going on in Ukraine
- The New York Times reports: Claims of Police Brutality in Ukraine Amid Talks to Quell Unrest
- BBC Reports: Ukraine protests: Crisis talks after day of bloodshed
Executions Still Happening in US
- The Atlantic Wire reports: Despite Protests, Texas Executes Mexican Citizen
- NBC 4 reports: Ohio Lawmakers Ask Kasich To Halt Executions
Virginia is for [ALL] Kinds of Lovers
Republicans Did Some Criminally Stupid Things
- Nick Goroff of AATP reports: Former Reagan Aide Dinesh D’Souza Indicted for Campaign Finance Fraud
- The LA Times reports: Mike Huckabee mansplains women’s libidos and contraception at RNC
- Washington Post reports: [Former VA Governor] McDonnell rejected plea offer to face one felony, spare wife any charges, avoid trial
Alaska News
- KTUU reports: Citizen Advisory Council Questions Relocation of Pipeline Control Center
- Anchorage Daily News reports: Alaska Senate leader: Gay marriage inevitable
- Anchorage Daily News reports: Parnell says funding increase linked to reforms, not vouchers
What did I miss? Add your link below.
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/20140123/federal-disaster-declaration-declared-regions-hit-november-storms
Way more important than what a celebrity teen did/does/says/thinks.
WAY MORE.
As is the finally!!! inclusion of monies in the budget for fisheries disaster mitigation from disasters declared over a year and a half ago. Congress was too busy being effing obnoxious to the Pres to deal with its duty of providing funds to mitigate . They were attached to the Hurricane Sandy funds first and kicked out as something on the order of “fluff”. ‘Splain that to the folks in Western Alaska, eh?
And ‘splain why folks would rather giggle and point at a single spoiled teen’s criminal behavior than watch carefully that Congress do its dadgummed duty?
One light in a dark valley,
and the mist is falling like rain.
You are truly that light,my friend. 🙂