In 1982 (before I was even born) a statement was made which is as true now as it was then (it might even be more true now!)
I favourite comedian of mine (Charlie Brooker) made a series to reflect upon the news called 'newswipe'. Here's a clip from the first episode (check out quantitative easing ):Donald Hugh Henley wrote:I make my living off the evening news. Just give me something, something I can use. People love it when you lose, they love dirty laundry. Well, I could have been an actor but I wound up here. I just have to look good, I dont have to be clear. Come and whisper in my ear, give us dirty laundry. Kick them when they're up, kick them when they're down. Kick them when they're up, kick them when they're down. Kick them when they're up, kick them when they're down. Kick them when they're up, kick them all around. We've got the bubble-headed-bleach-blonde who comes on at five. She can tell you about the plane crash with a gleam in her eye. It's interesting when people die; gives us dirty laundry. Can we film the operation? Is the head dead yet? You know, the boys in the newsroom have got a running bet. Get the widow on the set, we need dirty laundry. You don't really need to find out what's going on, you don't really want to know just how far its gone. Just leave well enough alone, eat your dirty laundry. Kick them when they're up, kick them when they're down. Kick them when they're up, kick them when they're down. Kick them when they're up, kick them when they're down. Kick them when they're stiff, kick them all around. Dirty little secrets, dirty little lies. We've got our dirty little fingers in everybody's pies. We love to cut you down to size, we love dirty laundry. We can do the innuendo, we can dance and sing. When it's said and done with haven't told you a thing. We all know that crap is king, give's us dirty laundry.
And a later episode demonstrating the bias (all those cameras near an unguarded window just by chance? Come on!):
Thank heavens another comedian has decided to confront the media from a different angle, not by making fun of the darker side of the news, but by finding the rare bright side (see 8:37, right near the end):
(I don't find Russell Howard funny, but I do find Charlie Brooker funny. Strange.)