Friday, June 26, 2009

Tweet, Twitter, and Today's News

I used to think it would be a form of hell-on-earth to reside bed-bound in a nursing home with total inability to speak or move and all the while the TV is spewing some soap-opera. (I intensely dislike soap operas.) One step towards even worse hideousness would be if the TV were tuned to one of those "reality" shows. (Yah, right, they know a lot about reality. Let them live my life for awhile. That's reality. Snicker. ) But the absolute worst scenario would be if I were forced to endure the spew of today's non-stop so-called news channels.

I long for the days when the evening news presented "just the facts, ma'am". No editorializing. No opinionating by commentators who opinionate 24/7.

But NOW! Now they not only pontificate about their own opinions and invite a host of "guests" to add Their Opinion, but they also invite YOUR opinion by tweet or twitter or whatever. Do you realize how really un-profound that is? That somehow my opinion appearing at the bottom of the screen of some national news show is actually important? Is it going to change anything? Is it going to cause someone with decision-making powers to sit up and take notice that, "Hey, she really has a good idea there! Let's listen! Let's put it into action! Let's pass a law!" What! News is now a social event?

Twittering as a social media is fun. I follow a couple friends/family that way. I enjoy the banter that takes place and sometimes they point me to interesting topics. But when I turn on the news channel, I want to hear the news. Just the Facts, Please! Puhleeeeze!
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