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HLN Taken To Task Over Its "Breaking News"

DToTheJ

DToTheJ

Recently, HLN has taken flak on this board for not providing effective coverage of the disaster in Japan over the weekend.

Now, Mediaite is giving HLN flak for its continued non-Japan coverage - specifically, the network's use of a bright red banner with bold gold lettering reading "Breaking News" for stories about Justin Bieber, Charlie Sheen and the like. This practice "seemed a bit off when... news was coming out much heavier events" in Japan.

Furthermore, "the question is whether any news network ought to have a big red banner blaring "big news breaking" about Justin Bieber or Courtney Cox’s social lives when the real big news breaking is that thousands could die or become gravely ill."

So what say you, Radio-Infoites?

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/hlns-showbiz-tonight-blasts-breaking-news-banner-for-bieber-news/
 
Mediaite is spot on with this one. "HLN" (or whatever they are called this week) tries to pass itself off as a news channel, which isn't hard to do because they occupy the spot of the former "CNN Headline News". What they've actually become is a 24-hour celebrity and reality-ish crime dreck-a-thon that is like a long form version of E! News while not being as good at this as E! is.

In this, they are being rightly taken to the woodshed for their constant abuse of the "Breaking News" banner. Good! Justin Bieber having a difficult bowel movement isn't breaking news and never was (not even to him). This was always wrong, but now that we have the other news channels (over)using the term with regard to the Japan's horrible disaster - the contrast is especially stark.

Interesting, I have yet to meet anyone who watches HLN yet imhomerjay insists that it's doing well. I suppose one becomes out of touch when not spending time in low income housing areas and trailer parks. Because that surely represents the level of intellect that's coming out of this channel right now.
 
I thought HLN stood for Hollywood's Latest (Looniest? Lousiest? Loudest? Lamest?) News. ;D
 
Northern Japan devastated by an earthquake with a nuclear meltdown looming is real "Breaking News". Justin Bieber's bathroom habits is not Breaking News -- it barely merits a spot on "Entertainment Tonight", for that matter.
 
johnnyu said:
Wasn't Headline News a real news channel back in the 1980"s?
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More or less, yes. It was one of the prime reasons I got cable back in the early 80's. Then, gradually, there was less and less news coverage (and what their was was geared to the ET zone which meant those of us out west got their "feature" shows which were crap). Finally, when I could not watch it any longer it became one of the prime reasons I dumped cable.

Cable: so much promise, so little content.
 
Let's not forget that HLN isn't the only offender when it comes to beating the "breaking news" theme into the ground. For years, ESPNews would have what seemed like a corner of the screen dedicated solely for "breaking news"; they've wised up since then.

Of course, that was practically 24/7. HLN's use of the term given the events in Japan is indefensible.
 
They definitely deserve it, especially when they have Nancy Grace parading that banner or a similar one (Just In) all the time on her show.

In my opinion, the only half-decent program on HLN is Clark Howard which is basically a radio show being recorded and edited for television.
 
Dave Ramsey hosted a similar show for Fox Business Network with the same premise - basically, his radio show on TV. Of course, with the addition of new nightly programs, Ramsey's show has been banished to Sundays at 6 PM ET. Yet Howard's TV show airs over the weekend on HLN, as well. I guess my point is, sometimes the best quality of programming is not often shown.
 
BRNout said:
Mediaite is spot on with this one. "HLN" (or whatever they are called this week) tries to pass itself off as a news channel, which isn't hard to do because they occupy the spot of the former "CNN Headline News". What they've actually become is a 24-hour celebrity and reality-ish crime dreck-a-thon that is like a long form version of E! News while not being as good at this as E! is.......Interesting, I have yet to meet anyone who watches HLN yet imhomerjay insists that it's doing well.
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HLN is to news network as US Magazine is to newsmagazine. They don't pretend to be news. Most viewers under 40 barely recall the canned 30-minute, rinse-repeat-rinse-repeat format. And frankly, cable networks don't want viewers over 40. They are trying to follow the Fox News Channel model: newsy during daytime and opinions after 6PM ET. It sorta worked for awhile, but ratings are down (although the morning show with Robyn Mead comes out ahead of CNN and MSNBC). They are adding a nightly one-hour Dr Drew Show in April that will no doubt be on Charlie Sheen Watch for most of the summer. Some folks buy US Magazine every week. That's what HLN has become.
 
And for those of us who stopped living in the '80s some two decades ago, the approach that worked back then is outdated, to be mild.
 
imhomerjay said:
And for those of us who stopped living in the '80s some two decades ago, the approach that worked back then is outdated, to be mild.
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Yeah, after all, who needs hard news and inconvenient coverage of ugly goings-on in Japan or Libya when we really should be keeping up to date on what Snookie is doing tonight?

You may actually have a point because the American public's level of ignorance about world affairs has dramatically increased in the past 20 years. A coincidence? Perhaps. But that doesn't mean that we have to approve of it. Crap like this deserves criticism. Particularly when it tries to pass itself off as news.
 
BRNout said:
...the American public's level of ignorance about world affairs has dramatically increased in the past 20 years. A coincidence? Perhaps. But that doesn't mean that we have to approve of it.
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Personally, I prefer hard news more and tend to ignore celebrity news, fluff pieces and propaganda.
 
So do I. But apparently there is an audience for other content--and c'est la vie. Delivering what's not in one person's opinion "good" for someone (be it celebrity news or nutritionally questionable pseudo-food) is fine. If enough people want actual healthy food, or more in-depth news, a business will pursue the market, just as they pursue all kinds of market segments. If there isn't enough of a market, the mirror--the blame--rests with society's choices. Blaming HLN for long ago determining the old model didn't cut it anymore--and in a world of myriad choices for news from around the world, that's hardly surprising--makes about as much sense as blaming TBS (or any other channel).

(And it's not what Snookie is doing tonight, it's who.)
 
Don Harrison is spinning in his grave.

Even before it was HLN, Headline News started becoming unwatchable when Nancy Grave became part of the lineup.

You want real news? Go an all news radio station on air or online.
 
Today I saw a graphic on their entertainment show titled "Big Breaking News". Not sure if that is new or not. It was certainly big, apparently Billy Ray Cyrus has mended his relationship with Miley. Now if that isn't "Big Breaking News", I'm not sure what is. ???
 
imhomerjay said:
It's their entertainment show. Context, people, context.
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;D ;D Cheers ;D ;D

Since kids no longer play outside very much, posters cannot scream "Hey you, get off my lawn". Instead they go online and troll a bit to compensate.
 
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