CNN Tumbles in Ratings

Does anyone really want to read this?" This question is printed on a poster that hangs on the wall of my school newspaper's office--the answer to this question should be "yes" before we print an edition of our newspaper. This is the same question that popped up in my head after reading a TIME magazine article about CNN's recent free-fall in ratings. After reading the article, I gathered CNN was the victim here: It puts out the most honest news and in return gets the lowest number of viewers. Yet, I shouldn't feel bad for CNN. The question it never answered is: "does anyone really want to watch this?"

In journalism, whether it's an article in The Local or a large news network like FOX News, this question needs to be answered to some extent. I understand that CNN is trying to be middle-of-the-road and honest, but it left behind one thing: a viable audience. I'll admit it's a sad thing that we as Americans cannot sit through an hour newscast without changing the channel to a more opinionated, less fact-based program to get our news. At the same time, I'm one of the many who abandoned CNN.

Why would I leave the "no bias no bull" news source? CNN didn't spark any interest. In this day and age when there is tremendous variety and an immense divide between left wing and right wing, not only did I begin to not care for middle-of-the-road reporting, but I also wanted a degree of excitement in my news. The content on CNN is so often the same news material I read all day on the internet, so why would I want a recap of what I just read? CNN brings nothing new to the table, and in turn, doesn't excite me.

To be honest, would you rather watch Rick Sanchez (CNN) ramble on about the oil spill in a "non-partisan" manner or watch the conservative Bill O'Reilly rip into President Obama for his handling of the mess? I'm tuning into FOX News for this one. Actually, I'll just keep the TV off with these two options.

Unfortunately, what CNN's fall to FOX News and MSNBC has proved is that journalism must sometimes be sacrificed in order to engage an audience. FOX News slants the facts just slightly to the right in my humble opinion, and MSNBC is no less guilty for its liberal bias. Either way, they both have audiences, which are in some way informed. Undoubtedly the partisan news coverage causes even a further divide in our political spectrum, but what is obvious is that Americans will watch what they enjoy--FOX News, MSNBC, and Comedy Central have all turned this fact into high ratings, CNN has not. I can't argue that news should be partisan because it shouldn't be, but it seems to be the reality and nearly every other news organization has figured out how to engage its own audience.

Even on a high school level we struggle before every issue to try to engage our specific audience, but at least we know our audience. FOX News knows its audience (a little too well sometimes), and even Comedy Central knows its audience. Glenn Beck cries over some form of Obama's Nazism--his viewers listen (and unfortunately believe it). Comedy Central's liberal, John Stewart, harps on every mistake a Republican Senator makes in a Congressional hearing--his viewers, me included, love his mockery. In both cases, their audiences are engaged and are, in some ways, getting a form of news--even if it's dumbed down. CNN on the other hand doesn't know which audience to please and seems to be reporting to no one.

To me, answering that initial question is just part of the journalistic process today, and CNN forgot to answer it--look where that's gotten them. And I would love to go on, but I can't miss tonight's episode of Comedy Central's The Daily Show.