During Wednesday's Nightly News story about infant mortality rates, the producers listed several countries on-screen, along with each country's flag. But next to "Singapore", the producers actually displayed the flag of Poland ("Poland" and its correct flag were shown in the next shot). If these two nations share the same flag, does this mean that Poland has annexed Singapore? That would certainly be breaking news. Unfortunately, the real explanation is much less dramatic. The Nightly News producers simply couldn't be bothered to research the correct flag for Singapore, even though that information could be found in about ten seconds by googling "Flag of Singapore". In fact, the two flags bear only a minimal similarity. Poland's flag is white on the top half and red on the bottom half, and may be found with or without the national coat of arms centered on the white portion (the flag with the coat of arms is "for official use abroad and at sea", according to Wikipedia). The flag of Singapore is red on the top half and white on the bottom half, with a white crescent and five stars (in white) on the left side of the upper portion. So one flag is white on top, while the other is red on top. Not really very similar at all. But the Nightly News producers just didn't care enough to get this right. Appalling. Ironically, that night's broadcast featured an "Education Nation" segment. What kind of message are the Nightly News producers sending to schoolchildren? That it really doesn't matter if you show the wrong flag for Singapore?
It's certainly ironic that the producers would get a nation's flag wrong. Because every night on Nightly News, they bombard the viewers with image after image of the American flag in a desperate attempt to increase their ratings by appealing to the viewers' sense of rah-rah gung-ho patriotism. They figure if it works for Fox News, it can work for NBC News. They often show a waving flag animation behind Brian or Lester. Or a tattered flag waving in the breeze at a disaster site. Or a flag conspicuously in the shot when a Nightly News correspondent is reporting a story. Or a flag in the shape of Arizona whenever Nightly News reports a Gabby Giffords story. Or a flag in the shot every time they show a political candidate speaking. If there is any possible way to include a flag in a news story, the producers and camera operators do so. I'm sure that the NBC camera people are under strict orders to immediately find flags wherever they are. And for all we know, they bring along their own flags to insert into shots if there isn't one on display nearby. Using the American flag as a ratings gimmick is shameful. On Monday's broadcast, Brian Williams took thirty seconds to tell us that, "In Washington D.C....our cameras found Old Glory had survived near-hurricane conditions but was still flying over the U.S. Capitol." After telling us that the tattered flag was burned and replaced with a new one, Brian ended by saying, "And tonight the colors are flying proudly again on a new flag." Meanwhile, that shot of the Capitol flag had already been shown for fifteen seconds in a previous story. Forty-five seconds of footage of the Capitol flag? Is he kidding us? And he actually used the phrase "Old Glory". That's just gross. A news anchor is supposed to report the news, not pander to the viewers with his ridiculously flowery patriotic prose. Brian sounds like a bad Hallmark card. Is he involved in some sort of bizarre competition to see which TV personality can come up with the most sickening faux patriotism? Why doesn't he just stand up and sing "God Bless America"? That is absolutely unprofessional conduct for a news anchor. But if it can get Brian a few micropoints in the Nielsen ratings, he's all for it.
So if the Nightly News producers can spend so much time brandishing the American flag on their broadcast, is it asking too much for them to display the proper Singaporean flag? Sadly, the answer is "yes".
On Thursday's broadcast, Brian wasted 100 seconds combined on the obituary of David Reynolds (the founder of Reynolds Wrap); a 61-year-old college football placekicker; and the safest and least safe cities for driving. Great job, Brian. You must be so proud.
On Friday's broadcast, Harry Smith reported this story: "The government agency that regulates mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is suing seventeen of the world's largest banks including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Goldman Sachs. The suit is aimed at recovering some of the money Fannie and Freddie lost when the mortgage bonds that the banks sold them went bad. The lawsuits claim that the banks made false and misleading statements when they sold those mortgage bonds making them seem much safer than they actually were." However, Smith did not mention that General Electric was one of the seventeen institutions being sued. Obviously, he did not include them on the list because GE owns 49% of NBC Universal. Just another instance of Nightly News intentionally omitting facts in order to protect one of its owners.
I understand that Labor Day weekend is a slow news time, but does Nightly News have to resort to repeats? On Friday, Smith took 27 seconds to show us a photo supposedly of a shark swimming alongside surfers. Lester Holt reported an identical story on June 26. How many "shark swims with surfers" stories does Nightly News need to report?
But my favorite part of Friday's broadcast was seeing Anne Thompson reporting from Point Pleasant Beach, N.J. Thompson's story was just a two-and-a-half minute ad for the businesses on the town's boardwalk. "Come on down, we're open," they all want us to know. Obviously, the only reason Nightly News reported this story was to try to boost sales for the merchants in one of Brian's "beloved Jersey Shore" towns. Before and after Hurricane Irene, it's all about the Jersey Shore. It's shameful that almost every story on Nightly News has a hidden agenda to promote or protect an entity that benefits NBC, one of their sponsors or Brian Williams personally.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
NBC Nightly News Show Notes--Special Hurricane Edition
Here's what's been happening on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams this week:
Sat. Aug. 27--Brian personally anchored Saturday's Nightly News. Obviously, he didn't feel that Lester Holt could do an adequate job of reading the hurricane news off the teleprompter. Viewers were treated to a 2:50 report on how Hurricane Irene is affecting the Jersey Shore. Because honestly--is there a more important place in the country than the Jersey Shore?
Sun. Aug. 28--Brian anchored again because he thinks that Lester is incompetent. The lead story was how Hurricane Irene affected--you guessed it--the all-important Jersey Shore. Finally, eight minutes into the broadcast, we saw a report about how Irene affected a small town near the Jersey Shore called New York City. And why was Anne Thompson wearing a huge beaming smile while reporting on the hurricane? Was there something funny that we should know about? Also, Brian referred to the Weather Channel's Jim Cantore and WNBC meteorologist Janice Huff as "two of the very best in the weather business." He said this twice. I remember back in the 70's when WNBC meteorologist Frank Field was sometimes accompanied on-air by Winston the Weather Dog. No doubt Brian would describe Winston as "one of the very best in the weather business" because he worked for an NBC affiliate. I guess all of the meteorologists who work for other networks are strictly second-rate. Sam Champion? More like Sam Chump-ion.
Mon. Aug. 29--An excerpt from an interview with Dick Cheney was just a shameless promo for Cheney's upcoming appearances on "Dateline" and "Today". Brian then took a minute-and-a-half to report the "big news" (his words) that Beyonce is pregnant. Really. I mean it. This was an actual news story on a network newscast the day after a hurricane hit the east coast. I'm not kidding. The story also included lots of footage from MTV's Video Music Awards--including Lady Gaga dressed as a man. Brian's comment: "Lady Gaga as a guy--in fact a guy who for a time couldn't stop talking." Wait a second--there's someone else I'm thinking of on TV who can't stop talking. But I can't quite remember his name. I'll let you know if it comes back to me. For at least the second time in two weeks, Brian name-dropped Jay-Z and Kanye West. Is there anyone he won't pander to? The managing editor of thegrio.com (in yet another plug for a Comcast/NBC property) said that Beyonce's pregnancy is, "...like the Royal Wedding--something exciting that people can vicariously be excited about..." So I guess Nightly News will be bringing us three or four minutes a night about Beyonce, just like they did with Will & Kate. Has Nightly News secured the rights to be in the delivery room when the baby is born? I can imagine a day six or seven months in the future when Brian will begin the broadcast by saying, "Khaddafy is finally caught, but first our lead story--it's a girl for Beyonce and Jay-Z! And Kanye was there, too!"
Tues. Aug 30--For the third time in five days, the lead Nightly News story is how Hurricane Irene affected (all together now) the Jersey Shore. It must be great to have your own newscast so you can report on your home state as often as you like. Also, Brian referred to Vermont as a "great state". Is there a single state that Brian hasn't called "great"? If every state in the U.S. is great, then that completely defeats the purpose of the description. I mean, if every human had super powers, they wouldn't really be super because everyone had them, right? A story on a new lung cancer drug turned out to be a two-minute plug for Pfizer. That's hardly surprising. Once again, Robert Bazell used his position as NBC News Chief Science Correspondent to shill for one of NBC's biggest sponsors. Brian also reported that Michael Vick signed a new six-year $100-million contract with the Eagles. Actually, that's only slightly more than Brian himself will earn over the next six years. But don't tell anyone. Brian wants his viewers to think of him as a good ol' regular blue-collar working class guy. You know--like a character in a Springsteen song. The final story was a two-and-a-half minute piece about the health benefits of chocolate. There were no fewer than eight clear shots of Hershey products (and several of M & M products). That's known in the business as "product placement". Usually, the advertiser pays to have their product featured in a movie, TV show or news report. If no one from NBC denies this was a paid product placement, we should just assume that it was. And again I ask: Has Lee Cowan ever once reported on a story that has even the tiniest shred of news value? I don't think so. But at least we got to see some neat clips from "E.T." and "Forrest Gump". Because Brian and his producers can't go more than a few days without including a movie or TV clip (or clips) in a Nightly News story. It's just their way of making Nightly News more and more indistinguishable from the shows that follow it--"Access Hollywood" and "Extra". And now that I think about it, Lee Cowan really does remind me of Forrest Gump.
Sat. Aug. 27--Brian personally anchored Saturday's Nightly News. Obviously, he didn't feel that Lester Holt could do an adequate job of reading the hurricane news off the teleprompter. Viewers were treated to a 2:50 report on how Hurricane Irene is affecting the Jersey Shore. Because honestly--is there a more important place in the country than the Jersey Shore?
Sun. Aug. 28--Brian anchored again because he thinks that Lester is incompetent. The lead story was how Hurricane Irene affected--you guessed it--the all-important Jersey Shore. Finally, eight minutes into the broadcast, we saw a report about how Irene affected a small town near the Jersey Shore called New York City. And why was Anne Thompson wearing a huge beaming smile while reporting on the hurricane? Was there something funny that we should know about? Also, Brian referred to the Weather Channel's Jim Cantore and WNBC meteorologist Janice Huff as "two of the very best in the weather business." He said this twice. I remember back in the 70's when WNBC meteorologist Frank Field was sometimes accompanied on-air by Winston the Weather Dog. No doubt Brian would describe Winston as "one of the very best in the weather business" because he worked for an NBC affiliate. I guess all of the meteorologists who work for other networks are strictly second-rate. Sam Champion? More like Sam Chump-ion.
Mon. Aug. 29--An excerpt from an interview with Dick Cheney was just a shameless promo for Cheney's upcoming appearances on "Dateline" and "Today". Brian then took a minute-and-a-half to report the "big news" (his words) that Beyonce is pregnant. Really. I mean it. This was an actual news story on a network newscast the day after a hurricane hit the east coast. I'm not kidding. The story also included lots of footage from MTV's Video Music Awards--including Lady Gaga dressed as a man. Brian's comment: "Lady Gaga as a guy--in fact a guy who for a time couldn't stop talking." Wait a second--there's someone else I'm thinking of on TV who can't stop talking. But I can't quite remember his name. I'll let you know if it comes back to me. For at least the second time in two weeks, Brian name-dropped Jay-Z and Kanye West. Is there anyone he won't pander to? The managing editor of thegrio.com (in yet another plug for a Comcast/NBC property) said that Beyonce's pregnancy is, "...like the Royal Wedding--something exciting that people can vicariously be excited about..." So I guess Nightly News will be bringing us three or four minutes a night about Beyonce, just like they did with Will & Kate. Has Nightly News secured the rights to be in the delivery room when the baby is born? I can imagine a day six or seven months in the future when Brian will begin the broadcast by saying, "Khaddafy is finally caught, but first our lead story--it's a girl for Beyonce and Jay-Z! And Kanye was there, too!"
Tues. Aug 30--For the third time in five days, the lead Nightly News story is how Hurricane Irene affected (all together now) the Jersey Shore. It must be great to have your own newscast so you can report on your home state as often as you like. Also, Brian referred to Vermont as a "great state". Is there a single state that Brian hasn't called "great"? If every state in the U.S. is great, then that completely defeats the purpose of the description. I mean, if every human had super powers, they wouldn't really be super because everyone had them, right? A story on a new lung cancer drug turned out to be a two-minute plug for Pfizer. That's hardly surprising. Once again, Robert Bazell used his position as NBC News Chief Science Correspondent to shill for one of NBC's biggest sponsors. Brian also reported that Michael Vick signed a new six-year $100-million contract with the Eagles. Actually, that's only slightly more than Brian himself will earn over the next six years. But don't tell anyone. Brian wants his viewers to think of him as a good ol' regular blue-collar working class guy. You know--like a character in a Springsteen song. The final story was a two-and-a-half minute piece about the health benefits of chocolate. There were no fewer than eight clear shots of Hershey products (and several of M & M products). That's known in the business as "product placement". Usually, the advertiser pays to have their product featured in a movie, TV show or news report. If no one from NBC denies this was a paid product placement, we should just assume that it was. And again I ask: Has Lee Cowan ever once reported on a story that has even the tiniest shred of news value? I don't think so. But at least we got to see some neat clips from "E.T." and "Forrest Gump". Because Brian and his producers can't go more than a few days without including a movie or TV clip (or clips) in a Nightly News story. It's just their way of making Nightly News more and more indistinguishable from the shows that follow it--"Access Hollywood" and "Extra". And now that I think about it, Lee Cowan really does remind me of Forrest Gump.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Thank You, William Deresiewicz
Thank you, William Deresiewicz. In last Sunday's New York Times Sunday Review section, Deresiewicz wrote a page one opinion piece titled "An Empty Regard". The piece is about the ridiculous rah-rah gung-ho God-bless-America mentality that causes far too many Americans to treat military members as if they were saints. The article can be read at:
(http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/opinion/sunday/americas-sentimental-regard-for-the-military.html)
Here is Deresiewicz's first paragraph: "No symbol is more sacred in American life right now than the military uniform. The cross is divisive; the flag has been put to partisan struggle. But the uniform commands nearly automatic and universal reverence. In Congress as on television, generals are treated with awed respect, service members spoken of as if they were saints. Liberals are especially careful to make the right noises: obeisance to the uniform having become the shibboleth of patriotism, as anti-Communism used to be. Across the political spectrum, throughout the media, in private and public life, the pieties and ritual declarations are second nature now: 'warriors,' 'heroes,' 'mission'; 'our young men and women in uniform,' 'our brave young men and women,' 'our finest young people.' So common has this kind of language become, we scarcely notice it anymore."
Here is another excerpt from the piece: "The term most characteristically employed, when the cult of the uniform is celebrated, is 'heroes.' Perhaps no word in public life of late has been more thoroughly debased by overuse. Soldiers are 'heroes'; firefighters are 'heroes'; police officers are 'heroes' — all of them, not the special few who undoubtedly deserve the term. So unthinking has the platitude become that someone referred to national park rangers on public radio recently as 'heroes' — reflexively, in passing — presumably since they wear uniforms, as well. Stephen Colbert picked up on this phenomenon long ago, which is why he slyly refers to his viewers — and now, to the donors to his Super PAC — by the same term."
Now, Deresiewicz didn't mention Brian Williams by name, but then again he didn't have to. Brian is one of the most ardent members of the military-worshipper cult of personality. In fact, Brian could be their leader. Watching Nightly News is like reading a thesaurus entry for the word "heroes". "Wounded Warriors," "Fallen Heroes," "Our Brave Men and Women in Uniform"--the list goes on. And then there are the waving flags. Nightly News gratuitously inserts American flags into their stories so often that they should do a "Making A Difference" piece about Betsy Ross. Brian's fawning, drooling "I love the military" act has become a parody. Not to mention that it is completely inappropriate. A news anchor is supposed to report the news objectively, not act as the propaganda minister for the U.S. military. How completely unprofessional. I hope Brian had a chance to read Deresiewicz's New York Times piece. Then again he may have had a hard time getting through it. Brian's eyes probably glazed over when he saw the full-page photo of the decorated soldier that accompanied the article.
(http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/opinion/sunday/americas-sentimental-regard-for-the-military.html)
Here is Deresiewicz's first paragraph: "No symbol is more sacred in American life right now than the military uniform. The cross is divisive; the flag has been put to partisan struggle. But the uniform commands nearly automatic and universal reverence. In Congress as on television, generals are treated with awed respect, service members spoken of as if they were saints. Liberals are especially careful to make the right noises: obeisance to the uniform having become the shibboleth of patriotism, as anti-Communism used to be. Across the political spectrum, throughout the media, in private and public life, the pieties and ritual declarations are second nature now: 'warriors,' 'heroes,' 'mission'; 'our young men and women in uniform,' 'our brave young men and women,' 'our finest young people.' So common has this kind of language become, we scarcely notice it anymore."
Here is another excerpt from the piece: "The term most characteristically employed, when the cult of the uniform is celebrated, is 'heroes.' Perhaps no word in public life of late has been more thoroughly debased by overuse. Soldiers are 'heroes'; firefighters are 'heroes'; police officers are 'heroes' — all of them, not the special few who undoubtedly deserve the term. So unthinking has the platitude become that someone referred to national park rangers on public radio recently as 'heroes' — reflexively, in passing — presumably since they wear uniforms, as well. Stephen Colbert picked up on this phenomenon long ago, which is why he slyly refers to his viewers — and now, to the donors to his Super PAC — by the same term."
Now, Deresiewicz didn't mention Brian Williams by name, but then again he didn't have to. Brian is one of the most ardent members of the military-worshipper cult of personality. In fact, Brian could be their leader. Watching Nightly News is like reading a thesaurus entry for the word "heroes". "Wounded Warriors," "Fallen Heroes," "Our Brave Men and Women in Uniform"--the list goes on. And then there are the waving flags. Nightly News gratuitously inserts American flags into their stories so often that they should do a "Making A Difference" piece about Betsy Ross. Brian's fawning, drooling "I love the military" act has become a parody. Not to mention that it is completely inappropriate. A news anchor is supposed to report the news objectively, not act as the propaganda minister for the U.S. military. How completely unprofessional. I hope Brian had a chance to read Deresiewicz's New York Times piece. Then again he may have had a hard time getting through it. Brian's eyes probably glazed over when he saw the full-page photo of the decorated soldier that accompanied the article.
Brian Williams--Math Whiz
On Tuesday's Nightly News, Brian Williams reported that singer-songwriter Nick Ashford died at age 70. During the story, a photo of Ashford appeared above Brian's left shoulder with the years "1942-2011" at the bottom of the photo. Now I'm no math whiz, but I'm pretty sure that if you were born in 1942, you don't turn 70 until 2012. If you turned 70 in 2011, you were born in 1941. Apparently, Brian's no math whiz either.
On Friday's broadcast, we saw a clip in which NYU Visiting Professor of Civil Engineering Mohammad Karamouz discusses how New York City's tunnels are vulnerable to flooding in the event of a major hurricane. Unfortunately, a Nightly News graphic misspelled Prof. Karamouz's first name as "Mohammed". Well, at least the producers managed to spell "Irene" correctly. That's gotta be worth something.
On Friday's broadcast, we saw a clip in which NYU Visiting Professor of Civil Engineering Mohammad Karamouz discusses how New York City's tunnels are vulnerable to flooding in the event of a major hurricane. Unfortunately, a Nightly News graphic misspelled Prof. Karamouz's first name as "Mohammed". Well, at least the producers managed to spell "Irene" correctly. That's gotta be worth something.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Brian Williams: America's News Anchor In Chief
NBC should change the name of their evening newscast. Instead of calling it "Nightly News With Brian Williams", they should call it "Nightly News About Brian Williams". Because let's face it--that's really what it is. Every night, through his extensive use of personal pronouns--I, me, my, mine, our, us, we, etc.--Brian transforms news stories into stories about himself. His favorite phrases--"For those of us", "All of us who" and "If you're like me"--are carefully chosen to allow him to change the subject to something he really loves--himself. On Tuesday, while reporting on the 5.8 earthquake that struck Virginia, Brian made sure to tell all his rapt viewers exactly where HE was when the quake struck ("I can report that the beach does move in an earthquake. I was on my second attempt at a summer vacation at my native Jersey shore..."). Not that anyone asked. In fact, Tuesday's Nightly News reported on the whereabouts of only two people during the earthquake: President Obama and Brian Williams. That makes sense. Because in Brian's mind, they are the two most important people in the country. One is the Commander in Chief and is responsible for the safety and welfare of 300 million Americans. The other is the News Anchor in Chief and is responsible for informing the American people about all the important news stories going on across the country and around the world. Stories like these: Bert & Ernie are not gay; the death of Johnny Cash's bass player; Foster the People and their hit song of the summer "Pumped Up Kicks"; and Mishka the talking dog. Brian brings us all the latest breaking news about Will & Kate, Susan Boyle, Jackie Evancho and Mary Thornberry. His broadcast reports important stories like the appropriateness of wearing flip-flops to work, the difficulty of dancing in high heels or a profile of New York's singing construction worker. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that's Nightly News. Reporting on relevant and meaningful events. All I can say is: God bless Brian Williams, America's News Anchor in Chief.
While talking to WNBC meteorologist Janice Huff about Hurricane Irene on Tuesday, Brian made sure to tell us that, "I got family on the Jersey coast..." Clearly, Brian's primary concern is reporting on how the hurricane will affect him and his family (and see how easily he slips into the common vernacular of "got" instead of "have"?). But on Friday, he really stepped up his game. He anchored the entire broadcast from the Jersey Shore, because Brian's world revolves around the Jersey Shore. Let me make sure I understand this. A category 1 or 2 hurricane is about to strike New York--a city of more than 8 million people, and Brian is anchoring Nightly News from the dunes of Sand-And-Surf, N.J. That's great. Apparently, Brian exercised his work-from-home option on Friday. I guess when you're America's News Anchor in Chief, you have that prerogative. And in case anyone is wondering why Brian was still at the Jersey Shore after Gov. Chris Christie issued an evacuation order, Brian has special dispensation to stay because he's a FGFJ ("Famous Guy From Jersey"). And besides, Brian's Jersey Shore compound has miles of underground tunnels and apartments that are sealed and weatherproof, so he's safe from the hurricane. His compound is so elaborate that it makes Khaddafy's compound look like Saddam Hussein's snake hole.
Of course, Brian's "Live From the Jersey Shore" broadcast was not without its hilarious moments. For one thing, Brian told us that, "This is nationally famous Point Pleasant Beach, N.J.--thousands of people come here on vacation every year..." Funny thing--I've lived in New York all my life and I've never heard of "nationally famous" Point Pleasant Beach. I guess I'm just ignorant and uninformed. Also, Brian was resplendent in his Banana Republic shirt and cargo pants. It must be casual Friday at NBC News. How ironic. Back on June 3, Brian derisively mocked Mitt Romney for outfitting himself in what Brian described as "new jeans and a fleet of I'm-just-a-regular-guy shirts." Yet here's Brian wearing the exact same outfit that he ridiculed Romney for wearing. Maybe Brian has the same image handlers as Romney. Or maybe he's just a hypocrite. It was also pretty funny to hear Brian begin his interview with FEMA administrator Craig Fugate by bragging that he (Brian) had "ridden out Katrina inside the Superdome". First of all, I find that highly doubtful. Although Brian carefully cultivates his image as a "regular guy" (albeit one with an 8-figure salary), he doesn't mingle with the hoi polloi. He was probably staying in a comfortable hotel room outside the flooded area, or perhaps in a nice motor home. But aside from that, it was just another opportunity for Brian to turn the news into the news about himself. I can't wait until Monday's broadcast when Brian tells us all the details about how he rode out Irene in his Jersey Shore compound. That's Monday on "Nightly News About Brian Williams".
While talking to WNBC meteorologist Janice Huff about Hurricane Irene on Tuesday, Brian made sure to tell us that, "I got family on the Jersey coast..." Clearly, Brian's primary concern is reporting on how the hurricane will affect him and his family (and see how easily he slips into the common vernacular of "got" instead of "have"?). But on Friday, he really stepped up his game. He anchored the entire broadcast from the Jersey Shore, because Brian's world revolves around the Jersey Shore. Let me make sure I understand this. A category 1 or 2 hurricane is about to strike New York--a city of more than 8 million people, and Brian is anchoring Nightly News from the dunes of Sand-And-Surf, N.J. That's great. Apparently, Brian exercised his work-from-home option on Friday. I guess when you're America's News Anchor in Chief, you have that prerogative. And in case anyone is wondering why Brian was still at the Jersey Shore after Gov. Chris Christie issued an evacuation order, Brian has special dispensation to stay because he's a FGFJ ("Famous Guy From Jersey"). And besides, Brian's Jersey Shore compound has miles of underground tunnels and apartments that are sealed and weatherproof, so he's safe from the hurricane. His compound is so elaborate that it makes Khaddafy's compound look like Saddam Hussein's snake hole.
Of course, Brian's "Live From the Jersey Shore" broadcast was not without its hilarious moments. For one thing, Brian told us that, "This is nationally famous Point Pleasant Beach, N.J.--thousands of people come here on vacation every year..." Funny thing--I've lived in New York all my life and I've never heard of "nationally famous" Point Pleasant Beach. I guess I'm just ignorant and uninformed. Also, Brian was resplendent in his Banana Republic shirt and cargo pants. It must be casual Friday at NBC News. How ironic. Back on June 3, Brian derisively mocked Mitt Romney for outfitting himself in what Brian described as "new jeans and a fleet of I'm-just-a-regular-guy shirts." Yet here's Brian wearing the exact same outfit that he ridiculed Romney for wearing. Maybe Brian has the same image handlers as Romney. Or maybe he's just a hypocrite. It was also pretty funny to hear Brian begin his interview with FEMA administrator Craig Fugate by bragging that he (Brian) had "ridden out Katrina inside the Superdome". First of all, I find that highly doubtful. Although Brian carefully cultivates his image as a "regular guy" (albeit one with an 8-figure salary), he doesn't mingle with the hoi polloi. He was probably staying in a comfortable hotel room outside the flooded area, or perhaps in a nice motor home. But aside from that, it was just another opportunity for Brian to turn the news into the news about himself. I can't wait until Monday's broadcast when Brian tells us all the details about how he rode out Irene in his Jersey Shore compound. That's Monday on "Nightly News About Brian Williams".
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
The Bizarro World Of Nightly News
During the intro to Saturday's Nightly News, a clip from an upcoming story about the two Americans imprisoned in Iran was labeled "Judgement Day". Apparently, none of the Nightly News producers know how to spell "judgment".
On Friday's broadcast, a promo for "Meet the Press" identified Robert Gibbs as an Obama campaign "Adviser". On Saturday's broadcast, a MTP promo identified Gibbs as an Obama campaign "Advisor". When it comes to spelling, Nightly News flip-flops more than Mitt Romney.
On Saturday's broadcast, we were treated to a two-and-a-half-minute "news story" about a man who provides sound effects for movies. The producers should have attached a "breaking news" banner to this one. Obviously, it was just an excuse to pander to the viewers by showing clips from movies like "The Devil Wears Prada", "The Big Lebowski", True Grit", "Goodfellas", "Shutter Island" and "Murder By Numbers". By the way, what is the deal with Nightly News's obsession with "The Devil Wears Prada"? They showed clips from that movie twice in five days for two different stories. It wasn't released by Universal, but I'm betting that it has some connection to NBC Universal. After all, why else would Nightly News be promoting it twice in five days unless Comcast could make some money off it?
On Saturday's story about the Republican presidential candidates, Mitt Romney was identified as a "former governor". But a week earlier (8/13), Tim Pawlenty was identified as a "governor", even though he's been out of office for more than six months. I'm just curious--at what point will the Nightly News producers begin identifying Pawlenty as a former governor?
Sunday's Nightly News featured a two-and-a-half-minute story in which Peter Alexander swims with sharks. In what alternate universe is this a news story? Only in the Bizarro world of Nightly News.
On Friday's broadcast, a promo for "Meet the Press" identified Robert Gibbs as an Obama campaign "Adviser". On Saturday's broadcast, a MTP promo identified Gibbs as an Obama campaign "Advisor". When it comes to spelling, Nightly News flip-flops more than Mitt Romney.
On Saturday's broadcast, we were treated to a two-and-a-half-minute "news story" about a man who provides sound effects for movies. The producers should have attached a "breaking news" banner to this one. Obviously, it was just an excuse to pander to the viewers by showing clips from movies like "The Devil Wears Prada", "The Big Lebowski", True Grit", "Goodfellas", "Shutter Island" and "Murder By Numbers". By the way, what is the deal with Nightly News's obsession with "The Devil Wears Prada"? They showed clips from that movie twice in five days for two different stories. It wasn't released by Universal, but I'm betting that it has some connection to NBC Universal. After all, why else would Nightly News be promoting it twice in five days unless Comcast could make some money off it?
On Saturday's story about the Republican presidential candidates, Mitt Romney was identified as a "former governor". But a week earlier (8/13), Tim Pawlenty was identified as a "governor", even though he's been out of office for more than six months. I'm just curious--at what point will the Nightly News producers begin identifying Pawlenty as a former governor?
Sunday's Nightly News featured a two-and-a-half-minute story in which Peter Alexander swims with sharks. In what alternate universe is this a news story? Only in the Bizarro world of Nightly News.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
NBC Nightly News Show Notes--Aug. 13-Aug. 19
Here's what you may have missed on Nightly News this week:
Aug. 13: Nightly News aired a 2:20 minute story about "Doggy Date Nights" where shelter employees bring dogs to get-togethers with prospective adopters. This was a story on a network newscast. Really. I'm not kidding.
Aug 14: Once again, Nightly News aired a two-minute commercial for a ridiculous fake-gold Indian Head/Buffalo coin. It looks like one of those chocolate coins with a gold-foil wrapper. Clearly, this is a rip-off. Doesn't NBC have any standards for the ads it accepts?
Aug. 15: Brian Williams reported on Warren Buffett's N.Y. Times Op-Ed piece in which Buffett called for higher taxes on the super-rich. We know that Brian is fond of turning news stories into stories about himself by using phrases like, "For those of us...", or "If you're like me..." So I'm surprised he didn't begin this story by saying, "For those of us with 8-figure incomes...", or "If you're super-rich like me..." I guess Brian doesn't like drawing attention to his enormous wealth. It hurts the "regular guy" image he has carefully cultivated for himself.
Aug 16: The lead story on the CBS Evening News was that Walmart's second-quarter sales dropped by .9%--their ninth straight quarterly drop. Did Nightly News report this story? Of course not. Brian Williams does not report bad news about Walmart, a regular NBC sponsor. However, Brian is always happy to help his pals at Walmart by reporting good news. Last Jan. 20, Brian couldn't contain his glee while telling us that "Walmart...promised today to cut prices on fresh fruits and vegetables and to reduce fats, sugar, salt (and) eliminate trans fats in some of its own store brands by the year 2015." Maybe Brian should wear a Walmart hat when he reads their press releases.
*Also this night, Nightly News reported a 2:30 story about how people who are nice tend to earn less money than people who are not so nice. On July 25, Nightly News spent the same amount of time on a story about the appropriateness of wearing flip-flops to work. Is this what Brian Williams considers legitimate reporting on the workplace? It's appalling that Nightly News wastes our time with garbage like this when there are real news stories to be reported. Speaking of real news, Brian made sure to read a story about how people often pretend to be talking on their cell phones as a way of avoiding people they don't like. Well done, Brian. You should be proud of your broadcast.
Aug 17: The lead story was that the Joplin schools would open on time. It is unbelievable that a network newscast could make this the lead story. But Brian used to live in Joplin, and at Nightly News, it's all about Brian all the time. We also were treated to the third story in three weeks about Rachel Beckwith and her charity that brings clean water to areas that need it.
Aug 18: Brian read a story about the celebrities who are most trusted as product pitchmen or pitchwomen. I'm surprised that Brian wasn't on that list, since much of his time on Nightly News is spent endorsing and promoting products like McDonald's, Kraft, Chrysler and Walmart. Brian also did a news story about Robert Redford's 75th birthday. Really. I swear. Of course, he didn't mention that terrorists crossed into Israel from Egypt and killed 8 Israelis and wounded more than 30. I guess that story wasn't important enough. But at least we know all about Robert Redford's 75th birthday.
Aug. 19: Harry Smith brought us the breaking news story about how Will & Kate toured one of the the sites of the recent UK riots. He also told us that Burger King has fired their spokes-king and won't be using him in future ads. That's what I love about Nightly News. They're always right there for the important news.
Aug. 13: Nightly News aired a 2:20 minute story about "Doggy Date Nights" where shelter employees bring dogs to get-togethers with prospective adopters. This was a story on a network newscast. Really. I'm not kidding.
Aug 14: Once again, Nightly News aired a two-minute commercial for a ridiculous fake-gold Indian Head/Buffalo coin. It looks like one of those chocolate coins with a gold-foil wrapper. Clearly, this is a rip-off. Doesn't NBC have any standards for the ads it accepts?
Aug. 15: Brian Williams reported on Warren Buffett's N.Y. Times Op-Ed piece in which Buffett called for higher taxes on the super-rich. We know that Brian is fond of turning news stories into stories about himself by using phrases like, "For those of us...", or "If you're like me..." So I'm surprised he didn't begin this story by saying, "For those of us with 8-figure incomes...", or "If you're super-rich like me..." I guess Brian doesn't like drawing attention to his enormous wealth. It hurts the "regular guy" image he has carefully cultivated for himself.
Aug 16: The lead story on the CBS Evening News was that Walmart's second-quarter sales dropped by .9%--their ninth straight quarterly drop. Did Nightly News report this story? Of course not. Brian Williams does not report bad news about Walmart, a regular NBC sponsor. However, Brian is always happy to help his pals at Walmart by reporting good news. Last Jan. 20, Brian couldn't contain his glee while telling us that "Walmart...promised today to cut prices on fresh fruits and vegetables and to reduce fats, sugar, salt (and) eliminate trans fats in some of its own store brands by the year 2015." Maybe Brian should wear a Walmart hat when he reads their press releases.
*Also this night, Nightly News reported a 2:30 story about how people who are nice tend to earn less money than people who are not so nice. On July 25, Nightly News spent the same amount of time on a story about the appropriateness of wearing flip-flops to work. Is this what Brian Williams considers legitimate reporting on the workplace? It's appalling that Nightly News wastes our time with garbage like this when there are real news stories to be reported. Speaking of real news, Brian made sure to read a story about how people often pretend to be talking on their cell phones as a way of avoiding people they don't like. Well done, Brian. You should be proud of your broadcast.
Aug 17: The lead story was that the Joplin schools would open on time. It is unbelievable that a network newscast could make this the lead story. But Brian used to live in Joplin, and at Nightly News, it's all about Brian all the time. We also were treated to the third story in three weeks about Rachel Beckwith and her charity that brings clean water to areas that need it.
Aug 18: Brian read a story about the celebrities who are most trusted as product pitchmen or pitchwomen. I'm surprised that Brian wasn't on that list, since much of his time on Nightly News is spent endorsing and promoting products like McDonald's, Kraft, Chrysler and Walmart. Brian also did a news story about Robert Redford's 75th birthday. Really. I swear. Of course, he didn't mention that terrorists crossed into Israel from Egypt and killed 8 Israelis and wounded more than 30. I guess that story wasn't important enough. But at least we know all about Robert Redford's 75th birthday.
Aug. 19: Harry Smith brought us the breaking news story about how Will & Kate toured one of the the sites of the recent UK riots. He also told us that Burger King has fired their spokes-king and won't be using him in future ads. That's what I love about Nightly News. They're always right there for the important news.
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