Sometimes the need for the news to say something outraces the actual existence of the news having something to say.
When first reported, the assassination in Pakistan yesterday was done by explosion. Then it was reported that she was killed by being hit by bullets before the explosion. So I get up this morning and see a CNN.com link saying she was killed by shrapnel… but by the time my click on the link went through, the headline and article are saying that there was no shrapnel in her body, she was killed by the sunroof.
Meanwhile, in the case of the killed by a tiger on Christmas Day in San Francisco (and there is a description of a death that would have seemed unlikely to have been heard a week ago), we’ve gone from not having the event reported on the actual day it happened to the individual simply having been attacked to suggestions that he was dangling his leg in the tiger pit to statements suggesting that they were taunting the tiger to learning that while, yes, he was taunting the tiger, it was after the tiger had already escaped and was mauling someone and this brave young man was trying to save the existing victim.
Add in all the things that are inherently non-information, and the constant flow of news seems ever more pointless.
Veering a little away from the original topic: I want a good news filter. One that can rank news on this scale:
- Something major happened.
- Someone with actual power is in efforts to make something happen.
- Someone of actual power made a statement that could impact something actually happening.
- Someone of power made a statement defending their past acts.
- Someone of power made a statement about someone else of power.
- Someone of power made a statement about someone else without real power.
- Someone without real power made a statement about something.
Most days, I wouldn’t set my filter to show me anything lower than a 3. Beyond that, it’s just mostly entertainment value at best.
