The real news yesterday morning about the meteorite passing and then exploding over a part of Russia got me thinking about news here and where its focused or not focused.
Often what here appears as ‘news’ really isn’t ‘news’ at all when one stops to really think about it. And then there is the deer in the headlight focus on the outright trivial to try and score points and/or boost dismal ratings, such as MSNBC’s and CNN’s recent obsession with Mark Rubio’s taking a sip from a water bottle and suggesting the act ruined his political career.
Conservative news sources/blogs are equally guilty. As these two cases show.
The first was a story a week or so ago on Breitbart claiming somehow that the move to DC by the exotic car manufacturer Lamborghini was a further sign of the corruptness seeping into U.S. politics. Trouble is that is only half true. Many people may not know that Lamborghini is owned by Volkswagen and as Volkswagen has its North American headquarters outside DC in Virginia, the move is probably no more ‘sinister’ than corporate consolidation.
The second was a story appearing yesterday on a news blog called Weasel Zippers. In this story, about a supposed ‘curse’ when the current WH resident goes to visit a business (i.e., the business fails afterwards). It claimed a popular eatery here in Arlington, VA, Ray’s Hell burger once visited by the current WH occupant, is now going out of business for good.
Again a half truth. Part of the story is correct in that Ray’s has indeed vacated the space they had in a small, old strip mall, but what was omitted is Ray’s moved pretty much directly across the street at Wilson Blvd to a newer building and perhaps better digs. I know as son unit & I got a burger from them sometime last month.
Partisan news reporting is nothing new in our history or the history of any nation (seem to remember reading of discovery somewhere of ancient Roman political partisanship etched on walls). But what I see happening to those uncritically watching whatever network or following whatever news blog is reflexive conditioning to a story or a person labeled (tarred?) as being something; that we are expected then to intellectually ‘salivate’ like Pavlov’s dog, or perhaps the Orwellian 2 minutes of hate.
And what does that turn the unthinking into? Sheeple, that’s what.
Inaformerlifeanexpat's Blog 
Wow! Just wow! I missed the whole Rubio incident when it first came out but this goes above and beyond hatin’ the playa. And I kick myself for never making the connection with the “2 Minutes of Hate” simile, which is pretty much what most 24h “news” network have turned into.
At least there’s still BBC World
On the subject of sheeple, here’s my favourite demonstration of it http://www.xkcd.com/610/
You are quite right about ALL 24/7 news programs/networks, they do broadcast the real world ‘2 minutes of hate’