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The Injection of Opinion Into Newscasts
by Jaclyn Sakow, October 17, 2007
In recent history, the traditional newscast has undergone a makeover resulting in a style that is decidedly different from the traditional objective style which many audiences associate with a news broadcast. This novel style is one in which the anchor injects opinion into the headlines of the day, often using value laden language, humor, or certain code words to convey a certain ideological or political stance.
Lou Dobbs, the anchor of CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight, seems to take on role of a traditional 'tell it like it is' broadcaster until one of his hot topics, like immigration, appear. Then, Dobbs instantly takes on the role of anti-immigration advocate. David Leonhardt of The New York Times wrote, "The most common complaint about him, at least from other journalists, is that his program combines factual reporting with editorializing". And this is not a point that Dobbs seems to deny. In his 2006 book,Dobbs states, "I'm never neutral on any issue that affects the common go
od, our national interest, and working men and women of this country." In a 2006 interview, he tells New York Times reporter Rachel L. Swarns, "There's nothing fair and balanced about me, becauses there's nothing fair and balanced about the truth... 'He says, she says' journalism is a monstrous cop-out." In essence, Dobbs denies the existance and therefore, worth, of journalistic objectivity.
Brit Hume, anchor of Fox News Channel's Special Report with Brit Hume and commentator on Fox News Sunday has also been criticized for his lack of objectivity. Glenn Greenwald of Salon.com comments that Hume, "invokes the snidest tone possible to spit out the bitterest, most partisan attacks on Democrats". In contrast though, Roger Eronoff of conservative watchdog group AIM, said that Hume's Special Report is "the best analytical show on air", citing that Hume's guests represent diverse viewpoints.
Keith Olbermann, who's MSNBC show Countdown with Keith Olbermann is a strange hybrid of newscast and comedic talk show. Unlike Hume or Dobbs, he champions liberal causes on his show. Media analyst Roger Erinoff of AIM, criticizes Olbermann's show for its, "disguise as a straight newscast". While, Marvin Kitman wrote an article describing Olbermann as a "new Ed Murrow". Kitman embraces the fall of the straight newscast, "The objective that's-the-way-it-is style they use at all the network evening news shows is so old, so over". Much of the controversy about Olbermann lie in the transitions he makes between liberal ideologue and traditional reporter on NBC. The Giuliani campaign was concerned when Olbermann was assigned coverage of the the GOP presidential debate.
While the trend towards mixing fact and opinion may seem commonplace on cable television, this phenomenon rarely crosses over to major networks, at least in an overt way. Some media critics, such as Eric Boehlert from Media Matters, cites the injection of opinion into newscasts to boost ratings and develope brand identities. "It's a way to have the host become a celebrity figure, which is driven partly by the need to separate shows from the pack." Given that the president of CNN's domestic networks ( a person who generally cares about ratings), Jonathan Klein, has said that he encourages anchors to show their personality and "passions", it seems that there is some correlation between cable ratings and the insertion of opinion. Yet, Roger Eronoff, said that "the different networks' political agenda is the main factor" in the loss of journalistic objectivity.
Although, there may be more to this trend than ratings and politics. The "do it yourself" feel that has swallowed many parts of our culture could be a factor. A New York Times Magazine article about Wikipedia mentions the importance of this blogging culture in modern society:
Wikipedia may not exactly be a font of truth, but it does go against the current of what has happened to the notion of truth. The easy global dissemination of, well, everything has generated a D.I.Y. culture of proud subjectivity, a culture that has spread even to relatively traditional forms like television
So, it could be that these economic factors of branding and ratings have in some compacity combined with the very democratic zeitgeist of our times.
Offline Sources:
Dobbs, Lou. War on the Middle Class: How the Government, Big Business, and Special Interest Groups Are Waging War on the American Dream and How to Fight Back. Penguin Group: New York; 2006.
In recent history, the traditional newscast has undergone a makeover resulting in a style that is decidedly different from the traditional objective style which many audiences associate with a news broadcast. This novel style is one in which the anchor injects opinion into the headlines of the day, often using value laden language, humor, or certain code words to convey a certain ideological or political stance.
Lou Dobbs, the anchor of CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight, seems to take on role of a traditional 'tell it like it is' broadcaster until one of his hot topics, like immigration, appear. Then, Dobbs instantly takes on the role of anti-immigration advocate. David Leonhardt of The New York Times wrote, "The most common complaint about him, at least from other journalists, is that his program combines factual reporting with editorializing". And this is not a point that Dobbs seems to deny. In his 2006 book,Dobbs states, "I'm never neutral on any issue that affects the common go
od, our national interest, and working men and women of this country." In a 2006 interview, he tells New York Times reporter Rachel L. Swarns, "There's nothing fair and balanced about me, becauses there's nothing fair and balanced about the truth... 'He says, she says' journalism is a monstrous cop-out." In essence, Dobbs denies the existance and therefore, worth, of journalistic objectivity.
Brit Hume, anchor of Fox News Channel's Special Report with Brit Hume and commentator on Fox News Sunday has also been criticized for his lack of objectivity. Glenn Greenwald of Salon.com comments that Hume, "invokes the snidest tone possible to spit out the bitterest, most partisan attacks on Democrats". In contrast though, Roger Eronoff of conservative watchdog group AIM, said that Hume's Special Report is "the best analytical show on air", citing that Hume's guests represent diverse viewpoints.
Keith Olbermann, who's MSNBC show Countdown with Keith Olbermann is a strange hybrid of newscast and comedic talk show. Unlike Hume or Dobbs, he champions liberal causes on his show. Media analyst Roger Erinoff of AIM, criticizes Olbermann's show for its, "disguise as a straight newscast". While, Marvin Kitman wrote an article describing Olbermann as a "new Ed Murrow". Kitman embraces the fall of the straight newscast, "The objective that's-the-way-it-is style they use at all the network evening news shows is so old, so over". Much of the controversy about Olbermann lie in the transitions he makes between liberal ideologue and traditional reporter on NBC. The Giuliani campaign was concerned when Olbermann was assigned coverage of the the GOP presidential debate.
While the trend towards mixing fact and opinion may seem commonplace on cable television, this phenomenon rarely crosses over to major networks, at least in an overt way. Some media critics, such as Eric Boehlert from Media Matters, cites the injection of opinion into newscasts to boost ratings and develope brand identities. "It's a way to have the host become a celebrity figure, which is driven partly by the need to separate shows from the pack." Given that the president of CNN's domestic networks ( a person who generally cares about ratings), Jonathan Klein, has said that he encourages anchors to show their personality and "passions", it seems that there is some correlation between cable ratings and the insertion of opinion. Yet, Roger Eronoff, said that "the different networks' political agenda is the main factor" in the loss of journalistic objectivity.
Although, there may be more to this trend than ratings and politics. The "do it yourself" feel that has swallowed many parts of our culture could be a factor. A New York Times Magazine article about Wikipedia mentions the importance of this blogging culture in modern society:
Wikipedia may not exactly be a font of truth, but it does go against the current of what has happened to the notion of truth. The easy global dissemination of, well, everything has generated a D.I.Y. culture of proud subjectivity, a culture that has spread even to relatively traditional forms like television
So, it could be that these economic factors of branding and ratings have in some compacity combined with the very democratic zeitgeist of our times.
Offline Sources:
Dobbs, Lou. War on the Middle Class: How the Government, Big Business, and Special Interest Groups Are Waging War on the American Dream and How to Fight Back. Penguin Group: New York; 2006.
Latest page update: made by JaclynSakow
, Oct 17 2007, 9:12 AM EDT
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Edited by JaclynSakow
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- complete history)
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