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News media "Deadline USA" TCM 1952 film--problems of media then and now

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hanc...@bbs.cpcn.com

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Dec 31, 2009, 10:59:30 AM12/31/09
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TCM just aired "Deadline USA", a 1952 film starring Humphrey Bogart
about the problem of a newspaper fighting to uphold high journalism
standards in the face of economic pressure (against the desires of the
family and competitors).

It was a good movie. While at times the film went a little overboard
in the pro-newspaper propaganda, the film easily could've been made
today talking about the economic and style challenges the mainstream
news media (like major network TV news) face. Ironically, the film
was made by 20th C-Fox, who today in the film's eyes would be one of
the bad guys.

It's sad that far fewer people watch major network news than in the
past, let alone read a real newspaper. Network news doesn't help by
having far more time devoted to commercials than in the past, and the
commercials about health problems are hard to stomach. Cable TV news
is sensationalist and miserably inaccurate.

Along these lines, ten years ago in 1999, Ted Koppel wrote a book
covering that year. Interesting read. He spends considerable time
talking about the war in the Balkans which he feared would have
dangerous international consequences (it's mostly forgotten). He also
feared Y2k would be a disaster. But he did predict Al Qada's
terrorist attacks.

SFTV_troy

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Jan 2, 2010, 1:04:27 PM1/2/10
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On Dec 31 2009, 10:59 am, hanco...@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:
>
> It's sad that far fewer people watch major network news...

Pro-big-government propaganda.

> talking about the war in the Balkans Ted Koppel feared would have


> dangerous international consequences (it's mostly forgotten).  He also
> feared Y2k would be a disaster.  But he did predict Al Qada's
> terrorist attacks.

So his batting percentage was 0.33. I wouldn't want to invest in
stocks based upon such a poor prediction rate.


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