Got Your News On?

Television news, assaulted though it may be today, deserves our respect. It is a time-honored tradition, evolved under the watchful eyes of some of journalism's most brightly shining lights. It's always been an institution which I viewed with a certain amount of awe, and which I considered as separate from the rest of the fare on that same medium.

However...



The latest promos for UPN's nightly newscast have just pushed me over the edge. Print, web and radio spots all pitch the benefits of watching this particular news program. Yes, television news has taken a beating lately, but to stoop so low as to offer (1) prizes for watching, (2) a "code word of the day" to qualify for those prizes, and (3) the slogan "get your news on"? Frankly, I am greatly rankled.

Can we please see a little more dignity from TV news programs? Maybe if we see it, we'll respond with renewed trust and faith that those talking heads on our screens still know what they're doing.