I watched CNN, Fox, and MSNBC tonight for the first time in I can't remember when...I guess since 9/11. About 3 hours worth. I honestly have to say the two things that made the most impression on me were: one, the unabashed enthusiasm of the embedded reporters on all three channels; and two, their nearly universal insistence that they were perceiving a shift in mood among the Iraqi people themselves in the towns and villages. The CNN anchor seemed noticeably irked about this. I also noted that while both Fox and MSNBC focused pretty much exclusively on reports from the embeds, analysis of the battlefield by ex-military men, and the POW rescue story, CNN was much lower key and gravitated toward fairly dull talking head debates between academics or legal types on peripheral issues. Overall CNN seemed much more distant and subdued. Not more objective, just more skeptical and subdued. Fox seemed pretty gung-ho. And I thought MSNBC was the best of the three: all their presentations were good, clear, informative, detailed, and well-done.
I'm almost tempted to get cable myself now, but I honestly don't think this is going to last long enough to make it worth it. |
