Traditional Media Sucks, Example #73

CBS Ratings Continue Fall; Couric An Idiot Again

On Monday, September 24, CBS Anchor Katie Couric led off the broadcast with:

President Ahmadinejad of Iran, an enemy of the United States, arrived tonight....

Really? Leaving entirely the matter of her grammar -- is "the enemy of the United States" President Ahmadinejad or Iran? -- since when is it the job of CBS to make these declarations?

Seriously, I want to know. Talk about spinning the news.

(Thanks to both Amygdala and Discourse.net for the Hat tip.)

With stunning journalism such as this, it's no surprise that:

Media Bistro - TV Newser

Who Is TV's Highest-Paid Journo?

It's Katie Couric, according to the new Forbes TV 20 list of television's highest earners. While Oprah Winfrey tops the rankings, five journalists make the list. Couric lands at #14, with a reported $15 million annual salary.

She's followed by Matt Lauer (#17 - $13 million), Barbara Walters (#18 - $12 million), Diane Sawyer (#19 - $12 million), and Meredith Vieira (#20 - $10 million).

Because it makes sense to reward incompetence with higher pay, benefits and career visibility, instead of making compensation dependent upon how well you do your freaking job.

Absolutely no surprise is that CBS's ratings suck. (A quick introduction to television ratings and share points, measured during "sweeps.")

Media Bistro - TV Newser

Evening News Ratings: 2006-2007 Season

NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams wins in total viewers, while ABC's World News with Charles Gibson takes the A25-54 demo crown for the 2006-2007 season. The season ran from Sept. 18, 2006 to Sept. 23, 2007.

Network Total Viewers A25-54 Viewers HH Rating
NBC 8,400,000 2,590,000 5.8/12
ABC 8,360,000 2,620,000 5.8/12
CBS 6,740,000 2,140,000 4.7/10

People don't trust the traditional media as we once did:

Mediabistro - TV Newser

Trust... But Verify

From the USA Today/Gallup Poll:

In general, how much trust and confidence do you have in the mass media such as newspapers, T.V. and radio — when it comes to reporting the news fully, accurately, and fairly — a great deal, a fair amount, not very much, or none at all?

Date Great Deal Fair Amount Not Much None at All
Sept. 14-16, 2007 9% 38% 35% 17%
Sept. 12-15, 2005 13% 37% 37% 12%
Sept. 7-10, 2001 12% 41% 33% 14%

The new media -- quick responding, personal viewpoint, blogs ranging from GNB to Huffington Post, all the way to sites obsessively focused on a specific issue -- are in many ways a response to the traditional media's failure and identification with the Powers That Be.

I don't trust the traditional media, and the polls say neither do most Americans.

Spin such as Katie Couric's last week -- where one could say she was parroting the Administration's line for them as if it were fact -- is just one of the hundred of thousands of reasons why.

Bad Anchor. No cookie.