UK CNN- Piers Morgan

[danny_galaga]

A question for the Pommie members out there- Is it just me, or is Piers Morgan an utter ---Bad words, bad words, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when saint censors you?---?

I've been holed up sick in a hotel in Hong Kong, watching the free stuff on telly. Most of it is news channels. I'm too sick to even check out the free pr0n preview channel! The best channel is probably Al Jazareera, but news channels get repetitive so I was surfing and came across CNN, the UK edition (i think, maybe asian edition consisting mostly of UK stuff). So I'm watching this ---Bad words, bad words, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when saint censors you?--- interview Donald Bumstead about Bin Laden, and I can see in his eyes that HE thinks this Piers character is a ---Bad words, bad words, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when saint censors you?--- too. As you can guess, I'm not a fan of Donald Bumstead, but I grew to like him a little after this interview. So is it just me and Donald that think this? Also, all the UK CNN reporters seemed somewhat 'special'. Is this some sort of positive discrimination initiative?

Actually, I've never watched CNN in Australia, which would be the US version on cable (i dont have cable). Maybe all CNN is like this? All I know about CNN is an Australian satire show called 'The Chaser'. Their comedy is very hit and miss. They do a parody on CNN called

CNNNN- We report. You believe.

Which featured 'newstainment'. Is this what CNN is actually like?

Why is it someone like Al Jazeera can afford reporters, but CNN UK only afford stumbling cretins?

Please enlighten me!

[Howard_Casto]

Well, unfortuanately Piers Morgan is NOT exclusively on CNN UK.  He essentially replaced Larry King on regular CNN.  Why they chose him is beyond me as his only qualifications seem to be the fact that he did a couple of cruddy reality shows, both as a judge and contestant.  Then again, King's only qualifications seemed to be that he was old as dirt and mildly likeable. 

Piers is sort of a snooty jerk, I don't care for him, Larry King, although sometimes insaine, was at least likeable. 


The Cable News Network (CNN for short) was the first 24/7 all news network in the US.. it's been around forever.  They have a pretty good reputation in regards to reporting the news impartially and accurately.  The network is also boring as hell, but at least it's informative. They typically focus on National news, but also report most International News as well.  I'm assuming the localized versions of the network are the same.

Since then the US also has two other News networks... Fox News and MSNBC.

Fox News is unapologetically biased towards the right (Republicans) while MSNBC is skewed (slightly less imho) towards the left (Democrats). 

CNN is typically known to be the fair and blanced alternative to those two. 

Historically speaking CNN has had very few entertainment shows, with Larry King being the exception, but since sensationalized, INACCURATE news networks are getting better ratings (especially fox news, for some strange reason) CNN has recently tried to make their programming more entertaining.  This might be why they hired Piers.. but it seems like a mistake to me. 

[Zero_Hour]

Danny, you're a film guy, so I suggest this: To be enlightened as to what American news is all about, (and why guys like Morgan dominate the airwaves), just watch Network. It is a fictionalized, but not entirely inaccurate depiction of the beginning of the end of American televised news. Plus, it's actually an awesome movie as well.

[Samstag]

Also if you can find the Onion News Network tv show, it's just as informative* as any of the "real" news stations while also beating them at the entertainment game.

Sadly there are very few episodes available.


*As in not informative at all.

[Howard_Casto]

Also if you can find the Onion News Network tv show, it's just as informative* as any of the "real" news stations while also beating them at the entertainment game.

Sadly there are very few episodes available.


*As in not informative at all.

Not true at all.  As I stated, fox news and msnbc can be inaccurate, but CNN rarely is.  The exception being, or course the Larry King show and the new Piers Morgan show.

Sadly though, the Daily Show probably is the most accurate "entertainment based" news show on at the moment.   

[Samstag]

Apparently the rare times I watch CNN coincide with the rare times they're inaccurate.

The last time I watched CNN they were continuously using the word "genocide" to describe the civil war in Libya.

[danny_galaga]

Ah, ok. I am now somewhat enlightened. Fox news is definitely known over the world as bad. Australia can't apologise enough for Rupert Murdoch. So I'm guessing The Chaser chose CNN because its initials had more potential for parody. So would I be correct in saying that CNN, while still the more accurate news service, is starting to be crap because it's trying those 'punchy' 'newstainment' type tactics of advertising and presentation?


In Australia there are two news services that are still really good- ABC (No relation to the US ABC) and SBS. They still present news in a mature, non-'newstainment' way. The other stations in my opinion are crap. ABC is good for local and national while SBS have a good international service. SBS also run shows like the American PBS News hour which I find to be informative. And parodies like Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert.

Anyway, I won't have to worry much  longer since I finally noticed that National Geographic and Discovery Channel are working on my hotel tv after all (",)  Saw a doco on the Kansas City Hyatt Skywalk collapse and another on Ali Mohammed. If you don't know much about him, search him out. What an audacious, stupid yet cunning agent! A lot about the 9/11 attacks stems from his efforts to be a model jihadist.

[Hurray Banana]

He used to be the party feature editor for the Sun

Then when he edited the newspaper The Mirror he had to resign after releasing a load of faked photos and running stories as if they were true http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3716151.stm

So basically he is a tosser, don't know how he got the larry king job.

[Dexter]

Agreed, he's a tosspot.

[garwil]

Danny, you're a film guy, so I suggest this: To be enlightened as to what American news is all about, (and why guys like Morgan dominate the airwaves), just watch Anchorman. It is a fictionalized, but not entirely inaccurate depiction of the beginning of the end of American televised news. Plus, it's actually an awesome movie as well.

Fixed that for you...

[danny_galaga]

Danny, you're a film guy, so I suggest this: To be enlightened as to what American news is all about, (and why guys like Morgan dominate the airwaves), just watch Anchorman. It is a fictionalized, but not entirely inaccurate depiction of the beginning of the end of American televised news. Plus, it's actually an awesome movie as well.

Fixed that for you...

[grantspain]

being a pom i can confirm that Piers Morgan is a total wanker

i dunno what it is with Americans liking arrogant jumped up arses like morgan and cowell