GOOD NEWS... BAD NEWS, WHAT'S A HEALTHY DIET?

[stefan segal]

I saw this article: russia mandades 50% positive news for all radio stations.

I read this because my first impression was...news is news, how could you satisfy that? My second thought running on it's heels, was...shit sells...flowers don't make headlines (unless someone noteable chokes to death on them)

So I was curious...and as usual, this jack-booted top-down government like theirs/like ours, fucked it up. They made radio adjunct to their propaganda budget...for free...great deal for the crooks.

It got me thinking of how injurious it is to the popular psyche to listen/see unremittant horror, brutalization and death 24/7, and wouldn't if be a healthy thing to read/see/hear some of the wonderful things individual citizens and even companies are doing within our society?

I heard kerry's wife ( who is one of those wonderful people every day of her life) speak ar a book signing about the USAF going Green big-time, and the USNavy running a close second to get green..this is feel good NEWS...why haven't I read/seen/heard about this?

Anyway, I will fight to preserve free speach so going putin's way is definately out, but what about a station who's venue is GOOD NEWS 24/7?

We all watch the nutty things animals do just to be able to laugh cleanly...and not laughing at the ironic, or the demeaning or the sexual inadiquicies of government stooges.

Why not talk about the guy who is living with solar power all over his roof?
In Jeruselm, all the houses...note ALL the house get their hot water from solar power...and all thier toilets have two flushers...one for yellow, and more water for shades of brown...why isn't this NEWS we can USE?

I believe, especially in today's climate, that such a good news station would not only be a very healthy thing to tune into when needs an asprin and alcaseltzer, but also a viable business modle...a cash cow...at least for the first ones who throw their hat in that arena.

Stefan

[Linkster]

Stefan - you might want to check into that story a little deeper - the idea of "positive news" has nothing to do with "good news" - it is Putins way of controlling what gets put out on the radio (which is BTW what this was referring to)

The idea is to return to the old ways of the Kremlin in the old USSR - "positive news" is news that portrays the government in a good light and "the US was to be portrayed as an enemy" - it also demands "that opposition leaders could not be mentioned on the air" - this also extends to websites

This is just another in a series of the Putin government trying to censor the news - they already own the 3 TV stations - and have recently passed a law that has a test case where "Moscow prosecutors are pursuing a criminal case against a political advocate accused of posting critical remarks about a member of Parliament on a website"

Also the Russian government raided the independant news organization there Tuesday and took away their computers and documents - this is the Educated Media Foundation which is supported by European countries and the US.

As far as the use of your definition of "good news" - the US news organizations couldnt do it as they wouldnt get the ratings - good news doesnt sell advertising - and it might mean they would have to hire some "reporters" which they dont really want to do

[stefan segal]

Linkster...I am no casusal reader...I mentioned that when I read the piece I understood putin's aim was to manipulate the available news.

As fars as the rest oof your concerns...what I had evisioned was a start-up...something like CNN before there was a CNN and all predicted it's failure.

I believe, ( with no hard data )there is a hunger to once again have faith in our country....to witness some good energies witnin our societies.

I believe there is a viable market ready to shoulder up to the american mind and compete with the big networks. NOT in a no sum game, but adjunct to and relief from that "news", no longer news upon the 13th telling, that has no possible effect than to squeltch whatever good feelings one might have and feed the state of pessrimism.

Linkster...I can't believe you could disagree with any of the above...it is so ponderously the state of things today. Possibly a dissagreement as to it's ability to generate financial rewards, but that is not a dissagreement of principle, but in degree.

Stefan

[Bill]

Sounds like the CBS morning news show to me - 50% "Positive" news, 50% advertisements.

Hell, sounds like the american MSM in general.

[kres24GT]

It's almost as ridiculous as the fairness doctrine. Who makes these subjective judgments?

[stefan segal]

I was suggesting 100% good news...no judgement needed...what makes you feel good you air...what doesn't you don't...first you must part every hair, life ever rock while diigently applying a nit comb to divest the company of repugs, who celibrate jack boots and christians run amuck.

Stefan

[Mr. Blue]

As far as the Putin part of it...might be a good discussion for another thread because everyone seems to ignore Putin while he gets away all sorts of interesting little things.

As for the topic of good news. I do agree with Stefan on this one. The thing is a 24/7 news station has ample time in the day to focus on some positive stories. Instead they will drill a story to death, even if there's no new information, they'll stay on it repeating the same old information.

With this VT shooting thing they were doing just that...I watched 10 minutes of it, just enough to get the info, read one website, and that was it. You don't need the same news hammered into you all day long.

Also the news pushes infotainment now, so even the bad news, isn't really important news. I swear I don't want to hear about drugged out celebrity sluts anymore...not needed, thanks, buh bye.

There are some good news type website, which I think is pretty cool, and yeah I'd like to see stations running a little more positive news because there is positive things happening in the world.

What's the old song, you gotta accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative and don't mess with mr. in between. A little of it couldn't hurt.