Perhaps this should be in AIBU thread but I'm finding the way the news is reported is becoming increasingly cringeworthy (or something)

[voluptuagoodshag]

I can't quite put my finger on it but when I watch the news the reports, or rather the way things are reported, make me feel uneasy. For example.
The air crash in the Alps. Dreadful, dreadful news but is it not rather ghoulish to film the grieving families, interview them or those close to them and ask fecking ridiculous questions? Focus on one particular aspect of it (3 were Britons! So! Does that mean the other 147 non Britons are less important?). The town where the schoolchildren came from, the BBC reporter asked a local policewoman if the town will ever recover from this. What sort of question is that to ask at a time like this? It's like milking every possible human emotion out of a situation for our entertainment!

Next, the Jeremy Clarkson thing. This isn't even news. Why is there so much of a furore about it? A man assaults another man in his work and is, of course, sacked. End of!

One Direction. A musician decides to change his career. Hold the front page!!!

The media are responsible for perpetuating the over dramatic, instant fix, quick move on to next story to such an extent it's almost lost all sense of reason.

Your op is everything I've been thinking these past few days. The plane crash news is horrific without needing to pick it apart and show unnecessary film footage.

I agree it stems from the need for 24 hour rolling news and stories to fill that 24hours but I really don't like it.

I get especially infuriated with the reporting of opinions and speculation as actual news. But I don't see how this style of 'news' reporting can be stopped.

Completely agree, this is one reason why I don't watch the news anymore.

Rolling news = trolling news.

I completely agree OP. The other thing is there seems to be no detail or analysis of anything. There are no stories of any real substance - everyone wants to be first to report something, so you get xyz is about to happen for a disproportionate amount of time, alongside some speculation and building up of how important said thing is, then 2 seconds of 'it's happening' and then it's forgotten and it's onto the next anticipated thing! Where is the meaningful analysis of current and recent events? It's like news for those with an abnormally low IQ and attention span.

French news seems to be a lot better in this regard, much more detail and discussion, although it was a few years ago I used to watch it.

Agreed.

The 'dumbing down' of news is a particular issue for me. Anyone ever listened to Newsbeat on Radio1? It is such utter rubbish. They refuse to use the term 'general election' and say 'big public vote' instead. How thick do they think their listeners are?!

the trouble is if they would only report world news there would be plenty of news to fill the day.

And the nation would become more educated.

I think there is so much stuff around generally it mucks up the nations sanity. Once upon a time we only had three tv stations and even then they had a test card up for half the day. The news and other programmes were on at a set time and that was it. Now we have hundreds of channels but nothing to watch as we flick through. It's all just mundane shite (apart from Poldark obviously).

But seriously the world has become a place of gossip mongers because of this where we are more concerned with the colour of some z list celeb than voting in a general election. Sad! And the media has a lot to answer for because of it.

OP , you have written what I feel too. I stopped watching the news some time ago because I could no longer bear the trashy sensationalism that seems to be the norm. This current tragedy had me watching again, but urgh, how offensive and intrusive and embarrassing for those families, friends and townspeople to have to endure goulish and intrusive questions from 'journalists'. I don't want or need to see that thanks. Leave them alone to grieve!

It's all so prurient too- the coverage of murder cases, in vivid graphical detail is horrific- I just cannot have the news on with my children around, yet as a child we had R4 on all day, every day.

Ghoulish is a very good description, yes.

The news is horrible here in the US and whoever thought it was a good idea to follow their lead needs to be taken out and forced to watch the drivel.

I don't believe in 24hr news. Have the news on three times a day and then programs about current affairs. There is so much happening in the world and it is all fascinating. I have been shocked that very little has been reported beyond the death of Mr Lee Kuan Yew. He is a truly remarkable person who has shaped the world today. I would love to see something about the history and some sort of more detailed biographic of his life.

Totally agree OP, and this week it has been particularly bad. Many journalists turning up near the site of the plane crash and the Spanish airport, and with nothing new to report they just intrude on grieving families. Some of the reporting was almost gleeful.

There are alternatives to mainstream media OP, especially on the net.

The other night the bbc need front page was;
Clarkson
1 direction
Plane crash
Boko haram kidnapping people to use as human shields.

By the morning the Boko haram story had gone from the front page

Why do they even need a reporter at the scene? The one in the studio gives us the news then hands over to the one at the scene and asks "xxx what more can you tell us?"
Bugger all new but I'm going to stand here anyway, outside the front door of a family who have just learned that their son killed 149 people as well as himself.
STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT That poor family. Leave them alone ffs.

"Ghoulish is a very good description, yes." Ahh AtomicDog, thanks for putting back in that pesky "h" .

"STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT That poor family. Leave them alone ffs."

This, above - in spades!

Its the out and out bias of the mainstream media that enrages me more than the insensitivity; which is part of it I suppose!

middleaged I had not even noticed!

Somewhere along the way we lost all efforts to produce quality news programmes which informed and educated us, for the sake of sheer volume.
When 24 hour news coverage began, I thought that (what with all the hours to fill) there would be time to explain and debate in detail. I was wrong.

OP, your opening post sums up exactly my thoughts this week. And for James May to describe the TG debacle as a tragedy in the piece following coverage of the plane crash was beyond the pale. Granted, he couldn't foresee the running order, but middle aged man loses job for being an arse should never be equated with tragedy.

I thought that (what with all the hours to fill) there would be time to explain and debate in detail. I was wrong.
yes i thought there would be detailed analysis, or coverage of world news, nope just the same stuff every 20 mins.

Absolutely agree with all of the above. Plus the delivery of some newscasters who can't project their voices and let sentences fade away as if they have given up through lack of breath. Some sound as if they are imparting a secret rather than the news. There is one on ITV early evening news. She has an Italian sounding name. When she is in the studio she appears to mumble and cast words aside. However, when interviewing the famous on outside opportunities she is loud and excited. Also, news becomes increasingly biased. All in all we get fed up with a lot of it. Used to think Channel 4 was the best. Not so sure as they seem to be set more and more on confrontation and sensationalism.

I can't stand the way the BBC report news. They spin all sorts of stuff that isn't even true sometimes (Nicola Sturgeon being the latest victim of this).

Reminds me of the Don Henley song Dirty Laundry. On my phone but if you search on YouTube you'll find it. Even has lyrics about a plane crash on the news - spooky.