Slashdot Mirror


CBS and CNN Could Be Making News Together

crimeandpunishment writes "More proof of the profound impact cable, the Internet, and other outlets have had on broadcast news organizations. CBS and CNN, who have danced around the idea of a partnership for years, may be ready to move forward. Both news organizations have a lot at stake. Broadcast network news has a gloomy financial outlook, and CNN's ratings need a jump-start."

15 of 124 comments (clear)

  1. Just what they need by NaCh0 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Larry King guest starring on 60 Minutes.

    No Thanks. I'll keep my dial set to the hotties and relevant commentators on FoxNews.

  2. News by Spad · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Maybe CNN could start reporting actual news instead of relying on their viewers to tweet "interesting" information about the latest celebrity breakups so they can read it out on air.

    1. Re:News by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      "And we're back. I'm Anderson Cooper, and this is AC 360. Before the break we asked our viewers what they thought of the Obama administration's response to the oil disaster."

      Pwnface69: Obama is gr8 n I think it we have a black president

      "That's a good point. Good input. Let's bring up an opposing view."

      RedNeckBeck72: oblama blew up the rig himself and acorn for the stopping drilling cus global warming scam

      BushLiedKidsDied: it was bush fault lobbyists and haliburton made backdoor deals

      "Quite a diverse array of opinions we have here. Next up, what is the Achilles' Heel of elephants? The answer may surprise you. Stay tuned."

    2. Re:News by vtcodger · · Score: 5, Interesting

      ***Maybe CNN could start reporting actual news***

      Is there anyone there who knows how to do that? It's a little hard to envision any of the CNN "reporters" pulling a Mika Brzezinski and refusing to read the latest pop-culture garbage.

      http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1556022/Paris-Hilton-script-screwed-up-burnt-and-shredded.html

      --
      You can't see ANYTHING from a car, You've got to get out of the goddamned contraption and walk...Edward Abbey
    3. Re:News by Carewolf · · Score: 4, Informative

      CNN does have real news, but for some reason it is limited to the international editions. CNN Europe, while nowhere near BBC World, it is an actual news network, and if you go to the CNN website you can choose between American and International version. Switching back and forth on the CNN website is an intersting eye-opener in what kind of stories they run, and which they ignore.

    4. Re:News by bsDaemon · · Score: 3, Interesting

      isn't causing fear and panic among large swaths of the population in order to affect a political outcome the definition of terrorism? If so, his expert opinion may actually be pretty valid. Just saying.

  3. Clone Walter Cronkie from his DNA. by EWAdams · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If they really want to retain viewers, they might... I dunno... try actual journalism and integrity. It worked for Walt.

    --
    I piss off bigots.
  4. More media consolidation...its about time by Conspire · · Score: 3, Funny

    This is very heartwarming. It is about time we had some media consolidation. It will surely help remove the bias stemming from the extremely fragmented ownership and production base of the mainstream media of today.........

    --
    Real men don't need signitures!!!
  5. CNN, time to do *something* by jgreco · · Score: 3, Insightful

    A large percentage of the links off the CNN homepage these days are to the ireport web site, and they don't even differentiate them anymore like they used to. As a general rule, I don't care to see amateur news reporting, and this has been one reason I've used CNN less lately. I'd rather have less news but have it be high quality.

  6. Re:CBS news = NNS by tepples · · Score: 4, Informative

    If this goes ahead the USA will have 1 big news service for TV news

    We already do. The only major TV news source that doesn't share a parent company with a U.S. movie studio is the Public Broadcasting Service.

  7. Making news by omission by tepples · · Score: 3, Insightful

    When things go wrong, journos are quick to point out that they only report what is happening. That's the academic theory they've been taught, in any case.

    Journos "make" news in what they choose to report and not to report. For example, which of the MPAA-controlled U.S. TV news organizations has reported on ACTA?

  8. Good luck to them by davmoo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I hope they succeed at making news by merging, because they sure as hell can't report it. Using the words "journalism" and "CNN" in the same sentence has got to be the oxymoron of the year. And CBS isn't that much better any more.

    --
    I want a new quote. One that won't spill. One that don't cost too much. Or come in a pill.
  9. Re:Maybe if they just reported the damn news! by Attila+Dimedici · · Score: 3, Informative

    CNN/FOX going out of business due to low ratings is actually GOOD for US Democracy.

    Fox News is not going out of business due to low ratings (or any other reason) currently. Fox News actually gets decent ratings and their ratings are steadily improving.

    --
    The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison
  10. Re: UCk! by IANAAC · · Score: 4, Informative

    It's a shame that we have no news service dedicated to deep investigations and aiding the liberal causes.

    Click your remote a few times and you'll eventually hit upon MSNBC... they're about as liberal as they come.

    As far as "deep investigations", well, why would these networks do any thorough investigating when the latest newsbyte comes from the next viewer email, complete with camphone video? Not saying it's right, just that seems to be the way everything is headed.

  11. CNN's ratings need a jump-start? by brxndxn · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That's the problem. CNN cares about ratings. That means they care about the short term at the expense of their reputation as a viable news organization.

    Here's a quick fact for all of you TV executives: YOUR RATINGS ARE GOING DOWN BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE MORE OPTIONS. Quit trying to build this 'one size fits all morons' news channel and start actually reporting news. Hollywood gossip belongs on the Entertainment channel. Quick one-liners and talking heads belong on the Commentary channel. Crazy banners trying to get me all worked up over the world's dumbest terrorist (ya.. that guy from Pakistan recently) belong on the Fear channel. Instead, CNN includes all these things and then calls it the News channel. Seriously? CNN, right now, you are stupider than your audience. You target an audience of stupid people with even stupider content. Even stupid people want to get smarter.

    Right now, if you watched CNN all day 24/7, you would not know who your lawmakers are, you would not know which countries are where or what their political system is, understand any non-simplistic political or social situations, understand social and market changes or direction, hear more than a single sentence from a single person at a time without her being interrupted, hear about any real dirt or corruption involved with any affiliated corporation, or understand the real 'world situation.' So, it's entertainment - not news.

    And, you talking head assholes (that's pretty much every CNN reporter except Jack Cafferty), IT'S NOT YOUR FUCKING JOB TO SET THE AGENDA FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. Quit trying to tell people how to think. Quit identifying any political candidates as 'non-viable' or 'a longshot' or 'fringe' before you talk about them without letting people decide for themselves. Quit having opinions on everything. Quit being condescending to less educated people trying to make a difference in less affluent areas. Quit fabricating shit out of nothing - If there was a device that people thought was a bomb, but was determined not to be a bomb, don't report that it was a bomb! Quit talking only about buzzword political issues like abortion, gun control, and prayer in schools - like they are the only political problems facing the US. Quit wasting our time.

    --
    --- We need more Ron Paul!