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Just got done watching the 1981 film, "Absence of Malice", starring Paul Newman and Sally Field on TCM. Haven't seen it since it was first released. It's a very well done treatise on the responsiblities of The Press, and how they can be manuevered by outside forces to supply the public with misinformation. The ending has much hand-wringing done by the Sally Field character, who played the somewhat novice newspaper reporter, and by her Chief Editor and the rest of the Miami newspaper staff where her charcater worked, after they have realized that she was being used by a overly zealous FBI agent. Paul Newman plays the innocent victim of a smear campaign, who ultimately get his name cleared and also gets a measure of revenge, without by the way having to resort to violence.

As I believe this film is unfortunately somewhat of an anachronism, my questions are....

(1)-When exactly did Hollywood stop making intelligent movies such as this, where justice isn't attained with a gun?

(2)-When exactly did The Press(and this ESPECIALLY includes the television "news" sources) stop caring about the rules of journalistic propriety, as do the characters in this film?

(3)-(And maybe most importantly)...When exactly did the public stop wondering about the weightier issues of the world and start their collective fixation about the lastest exploits of dead golddiggers, bald ex-teen singing idols and the like?

My guess...It was about the time the typewriter was replaced by the computer.(the film shows Ms.Field hard at work at her typewriter)

Any thoughts out there?

Cheers,
Dwight
(Lord...I've lived too long)

I think it was about the time Slick Willie took office. The American public cares more about image than character.

I think the growing number of news outlets has led to a certain "flavor of the day" wall-to-wall type coverage. I listen to them for entertainment purposes and SNL "Weekend Update" if I want to learn something

jh

24 hour cable television did it. How much new news can you find 24/7x365. They all compete for the ratings so need to have anything that will make somebody tune in. If T&A on prime time will get them tuned in they will put it on. The saying "If it bleeds it leads" came from the 80s. It carries through to movies and programing.

Look at all the channels and channel packages out there. The demand exceeds the supply. We want to be entertained every minute of every day.

Bottom line: If Anna Nicole wasn't dead we would be watching the Iraq war. Photos of a pretty blond and a bunch of money hungry folks trying to get an edge changes it up a bit.

Nothing more than real life Survivor. The judge should have said "the rest of you, give me your torch and better luck next time"
_________________________

The weightier issues of the world are there and understood today more than any time in our history. In the 80s we had 30 min of news and one newspaper. Now we have 24 hours of news and 75 websites with it.

The news never changes, just the names. Elected officials and dictators acting badly while business leaders get rich and we pay more taxes to support it.

Right on Saxtron.
I also blame 24/7 news coverage. They started reporting more fluff than news. Then the local guys expanded their coverage from 30 mins to an hour to 3 or 4 hours each evening. There isn't that much news out there folks. For the time they devote to it, we should get more than the same sound bite every 5 minutes. I try to watch the PBS news, which is almost too indepth. But with the exepection of weather I get 90% of my news off the net. Thank you Fark.

On a side note there was a great article last week about what share that dead texas stripper was getting on each type of news outlet. And over 50% of the cable news programs were devoted to her. But less than 10% of the newspaper. So pick up a paper and feed you brain.

We are a passive society wasting out free time with potato-like abandaon seated in front of the idiot box abosrbing inane dross fed to us by our Orwellian masters.

I ditched the tube and bought a Triumph and proactively invest time in the internet I discontinued hard-copy newspaper about 8 years ago. I selectively scan AP/Reuters once in awhile on the keyboard-box and when the mood hits me I'll pull up an on-line newspaper (Chicago Trib/Suntimes et al). I chose what stories/articles are important to me and dismiss the placating zombie drone.

Turned on the TV this morning while eating my cereal: Judge shows, lawyer adverts, various health pitches, something about a singer and pitures on a show called Idol something or another, confirmed the status quo and decided to paint my helmet to see if I could pull it off on the cheap.

Life's what you make it. Turn the damm thing off.

I am gross and perverted
Im obsessed n deranged
I have existed for years
But very little had changed
I am the tool of the government
And industry too
For I am destined to rule
And regulate you

I may be vile and pernicious
But you cant look away
I make you think Im delicious
With the stuff that I say
I am the best you can get
Have you guessed me yet?
I am the slime oozin out
From your tv set

You will obey me while I lead you
And eat the garbage that I feed you
Until the day that we dont need you
Dont got for help...no one will heed you
Your mind is totally controlled
It has been stuffed into my mold
And you will do as you are told
Until the rights to you are sold

Thats right, folks..
Dont touch that dial

Well, I am the slime from your video
Oozin along on your livinroom floor

I am the slime from your video
Cant stop the slime, people, lookit me go

Movies these days live or die by the first weekend at the box office. The main demographic of viewers for opening weekends are adolescent boys, ages (about) 14 to 24. That is the target audience for most of the movies coming out now. Instead of stars like Newman and Field, you get actors like Adam Sandler and Jessica Simpson. You get action and special effects in spades. Plot is lost in the chaos, so why go to the work to put it in? It's much easier to just shoot the bad guys than to try to come up with a twist to defeat them intelligently.

This isn't my idea. I'm not that original. I've watched several interviews with people in the movie industry who were lamenting the quality of today's movies. The music industry is having the same problem.

Cody

So can we blame all of our problems on rap music?
more at 11.

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(2)-When exactly did The Press(and this ESPECIALLY includes the television "news" sources) stop caring about the rules of journalistic propriety, as do the characters in this film?

(3)-(And maybe most importantly)...When exactly did the public stop wondering about the weightier issues of the world and start their collective fixation about the lastest exploits of dead golddiggers, bald ex-teen singing idols and the like?

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I watched a program (can't recall what one) this weekend that touched on these very subjects. The consensus was that your suspicions are indeed true. The person being interviewed said something to the effect that network news is trending toward giving the viewing public what it 'wants' and not what is 'needed'. The guy went on to say that the network heads are more in-tune with ratings races than they are with journalistic excellence. The end product is trash news and the products that evolve from worthless spin/talking points. I stress "PRODUCTS", because that crap ain't journalism - It's a product made and presented to a consumer with the hope that viewership increases which in turn increases revenue from advertising. It's an ugly mess by my account when the bean counters 'bottom line' determines the news. Maybe I'm a bit more attuned to this practice because my daughter is a reporter and the I find the news 'industry' both fascinating and disappointing - None the less, Anna's corpse is far more important to the viewing public that a million staring kids in Darfur. The brilliant minds at ABC, CBS, NBC,and FOX, as well as the PR staff at companies from Clairol to XEROX all know that - So you're gonna watch Anna decompose for a little longer, while the rest of the world spins out of control.

As a side issue, but closely related is 'fear reporting' - John Stossel did a good piece on that last week - More garbage reporting that sells and has little real value.

Post deleted by Grump

"Just leave well enough alone, we need dirty laundry"....Don Henley

Funny thing is, yes 24/7 news was probably the beginning of the end of good journalism, but not because it was 24/7, but because they attempted to fill those 24/7 with the most popular subjects that would keep viewers watching as much of the time as possible. I am quite sure there is a LOT of news out there that could be used to fill more of that time than the 10 stories of the day (and the 1 or 2 key stories)that are beaten to death by the endless string of "experts", consultants, etc... How about spending MORE time reporting news from around the globe, and looking at those stories to see how they affect us in the US, or spending time finding a way to relate them to us so that we become interested, not only in what happens inside our borders, but outside as well. It's funny, but the US is so heavily involved all over the globe, on a financial, political, and military scale, much as the rest of the world is involved in our daily affairs, if even in an "invisible" way, but other than the daily update on Iraq or Afghanistan, there is NOTHING about ANYTHING going on outside of our borders, and even the stuff that is going on is blasted through so that they can get straight to the latest Britneycapade. I haven't had cable or satellite TV since I moved into our cabin in mid-December, and other than a few programs on History or Discovery, I haven't missed it at all. I go to my in-laws 2-3 times a month, and have my entire months worth of news inside of 30 minutes! And the sad thing, what I see from week to week seems like the same thing as the previous week! I am seriously considering NOT subscribing to any cable/satellite when I do move into a "permanent" place next month, what the heck, I can save $40-60 a month and not miss it.

I have been without cable for the last 5 years. I don't miss it. And it saves 70 bucks a month.
I grew up without a tv, but I dont know if I could do it now. Really we just use the TV to watch movies or series off Netflix. But without cable we are not likely to just sit there mindlessly looking for something.
Granted I couldn't give up internet or even high speed internet, I'm starting to worry I'm addicted.

I agree completely! In order to get ratings, network A must be more sensational than network B. The absolute number of people 'reporting' the news actually creates news. But the news people have swayed public opinion for a long, long time.

In the book 'No True Glory' by Bing West (very respected guy)he talks about the battle of Fallujah where the insurgents said they would decapitate any non Muslim reporter. So the western networks got their news from Al Jazerra and reported it as fact. Our Marines knew what they saw on TV was a lie because they were in the battle but no one would listen to them.

According to Bing West in 1968 after the Viet Cong suffered huge casualities in the Tet offensive, the press focused on American casualties. The headline on April 7, 1968 read "12 Marines killled", and did not mention that the enemy was decimated. Cronkite said we needed to get out of Viet Nam and public opinion was swung without the facts being known.

I don't want to debate the right or wrong of any war but this started way back when Teddy Rosevelt, et al, invaded Cuba. That time it was the print press.

The noise is louder now with all the broadcasters and news magazines. I don't watch the news any more and am thinking of dropping cable. There is no telling both sides of the story, just what will get the most attention.

The idiot box shall rule supreme. Don't question authority. Just watch Judge Judy.

All this said, I still want to be the eternal optimist -

I'll still say that even the most dis-jointed, disfunctional, misrepresenting and misguided free press is better than the two alternatives - No press, and Government operated press. At least with the former, they may occassionally right themselves, and like blind squirrels, may occassionally find an accorn. With the later two, there is never a chance of truth, justice, or freedom - Because the press, although informally,is the fourth body of government and may be the only true representative of the common man. Good night Chet.

Again, weightier issues! I think you need to figure this out. One of the reasons we are taxed to death is to keep us poor. The middle class in America is way too big. Government and business have joined together to shrink the middle class. Elevation of the very poor to poverty level takes lots of bucks, your bucks. The poor are still poor and you are less rich. The less money you have the more you depend on the government and big business to take care of you. Illegals help big business and make you even poorer, get it. It applies to all issues from fuel to taxes and everything in between. You are not permitted to succeed. If you succeed you do not need the politicians and big business, or big debt via credit cards etc. Then you have time to question.

The more folks with money to burn also leaves folks with time to educate kids and to ask questions. Government and big business hate questions. They hate their actions questioned or worse understood. The dumbing down of America starts with schools failing and ends with us too poor to do anything about it. Big business spends all the money on the politicians to get them elected and keep them in office.

There are no weighty issues. Just shut up and be a good little taxpayer and buy the products and services our sponsors sell you on your credit card. It will all be fine, we have it under control.

Fox aka, the world is our hen house, lets eat them they are stupid and CNN, the Clinton News Network all support the same things. The rich elite ruling us, they both love the junk they put out and laugh all the way to the bank.

I am 55 years old. All my life I heard the Republicans talk about if they had the power they would fix social security, education, taxes, unemployment etc.

Well, they had it all so.

Unemployment is non-existent
Taxes are lower than at any time in the country
We are clearly #1 in the world in education
Social Security is solvent forever and our benefits doubled

Right?

They are all the same and they own the press via the elite new world order.

Even if you know what they are doing, they are laughing. You are powerless to stop them. People of America voted away everything in the last 50 years. We got the government and the system we deserve.

Really good points Ron.
I will, however, disagree with your last statement:

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People of America voted away everything in the last 50 years. We got the government and the system we deserve.

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I would say that the people of America not voted away everything in the last 50 or so years.
And I think that ties in with Dwight's original question. The citizens (not all of course) of this country have grown apathetic about national and world events. We have become the audience (and sometimes cast) instead of the directors.
Maybe it's what some deserve, but those of us who care deserve better. Unfortunately the rating talk in television news, and the ratings say Americans want to be entertained, so we end up with the equivalent of the National Enquirer passing for television news. Newspapers are better if one is willing to read opposing opinions with a mindset of learning something and being open to new ideas.
Our two major newspapers here entered into a joint operating agreement several years ago where they maintain different editorial viewpoints (one conservative and one liberal), but are delivered as one paper. I rather like it because I don't have to subscribe to two separate papers to get a somewhat balanced view. Some of the letters to the editors though are sheep complaining that they shouldn't be subjected to any view with which they might disagree and say they toss the one they don't like in the recycling, or the trash depending on their viewpoint .
So for the answer to Dwight's query about when did this all start? It's the whole frog in a pan of water thing. It's been very gradual, but the main cause is just that there are so many entertainment options and people have developed such short attention spans that the kinds of things that held the attention of our parents and grandparents (think of the picture of a whole family gathered around the radio) just take too much effort.
As for TV news, well I'll just quote that old Simon and Garfunkel song:
"I get all the news I need on the weather report"

You are exactly right Bill. Apathetic behavior would be not getting involved and not voting, my error.

The short attention span filters over to all other areas of out lives.

The fascination of the general public - which includes all of us - with the salacious and sordid is by no means a new phenomena. The tabloid newspaper is a product of the 19th century, not the 21st. Stories of sexual misconduct and brutal murder were common fare for the press of the day. Victorian Sensation by Michael Diamond gives a fascinating account of that era's daily news.

Those of us who dare profess to have received a classical education may well remember that Ovid's Metamorphoses contains enough guts, gore, and perversion that the emporer Augustus had Ovid banished (blaming him for the wild, promiscuous behavior of his daughter, Julia). And should any care to read the Bible, you're only a couple of pages in before murder and incest kick in.

The televison and Internet only serve to make it easier to have access to stories that appeal to our darker, baser instincts, which, although we try to gloss them over with the thin veneer or civilization, are still festering deep within our psyches.

"In reality our fellow-citizens have not sunk so low as we feared, because they had never risen so high as we believed." Freud, 1915, Thoughts for the Times on War and Death.

Siggy