CNN's inability to compete was summed up Fox News' Tamara Holder. In 2014, she told the Columbia Journalism Review that while CNN star anchor Anderson Cooper was a good reporter, he was boring. "Would you watch an old guy talk rationally about a topic? Bet you'd rather watch two hot chicks who are smart and who disagree yell at each other," she said.
Confusing news with entertainment is why we’re sliding into an #Idiocracy!
I do not disagree in principle.
Question for everyone:
However, out of curiosity: if you are NOT a CIS male, would you really rather have the "two hot chicks who are smart" on the screen every day?
I think it might appeal to idiots of all gender identities.
But more troubling is that this is the thinking and, apparently, what works to boost viewership.
Let's see if we get enough votes on this. #Mastodon and the #Fediverse are particularly well suited to answer this question, due to its strong #lgbtqia+ community.
Of course it is nicer to have an attractive anchor(wo)man. However, I would never prefer "packaging" over substance.
My hypothesis: there might be an intellectual divide. Alas, I have a feeling, that #Mastodon is not particularly well suited for this type of enquiry. Education seems to be above average. :)
The thing I noticed in the quote was "smart" and "who disagree".
I could do without the yelling, but smart people disagreeing with each other strikes me as a great source for substance, regardless of the packaging.
And heck, Anderson Cooper wasn't exactly known for being hard on the eyes :)
But yes, I'd much rather see a smart disagreement because it means at least one, maybe both, on the screen is going to be challenging my own perspective, prodding me to fact check, and I think that's amazingly healthy, often scientific.
@DemocracyMattersALot
