Television news-- Why it is all fake

Quite good:

Cultural Casualties of Life in the Fast Lane

This is right on the money:

Every night television chat show hosts and 60 Minutes reporters get themselves (and us) worked up over an issue they claim to be “passionate” about. But next week it will be another equally demanding issue, with the previous “vital” one consigned to the memory hole. It’s the need to show we are compassionate that’s the constant, the target issue can easily change. It’s synthetic caring. Because no issues are resolved they are used merely as entertainment. ... In fact serial indignation, getting het up daily, gets one nowhere: it’s a giant distraction, a frustrating, self-crippling state, which builds up resentment at society with no way of resolving the issues, or of fruitfully releasing one’s angst.

We are expected to respect the "news judgement" of the Deciders who determine what is important each day. Yet, those same experts careen from one story to next. On Tuesday a story is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE WORLD. On Thursday it is forgotten and ignored.

This is a non-partisan issue. Fox News is as likely to play this game as CBS or CNN.

Wise viewers eventually catch on. As they do, the credibility of the news media evaporates. Over time the brave truth-tellers are unmasked as hypocrites and cynical manipulators. Like Scooby Doo villains.

Or sociopaths.