June 1, 1980: The Day Legitimate News Began to Disappear

Ted Turner is a billionaire. He cares about making money; period. In the late 1970’s he had an idea. Television News had become profitable. In the 1940’s, 50’s, and 60’s, the half-hour evening news was costly for the networks. Their on-air journalists were paid about as much as a man who worked in middle management in a factory.

However, in the 1970s, s news became far more interesting and advertisers began to buy space on the then one-hour nightly broadcasts. In the 21^st century, what is called “news” is the most profitable segment on television.

The war in South Vietnam continued to rage, and with it social and economic changes began across America.

[The 1970s witnessed significant changes in America, marked by economic shifts, social movements, and political scandals. Key changes included a shift from a manufacturing-based economy to a service-based one, the rise of feminism and gay rights movements, and a growing awareness of environmental issues. Additionally, the Watergate scandal exposed corruption and eroded public trust in government.]

Fact: Sensationalism increases viewership. Increased viewership results in the growth of advertising revenue. This is America’s primary purpose, and the purpose of every news broadcast, not to inform the American people. Sensationalism replaces facts.

On June 1, 1980 Ted Turner initiated CNN. “News” was broadcast 24-hours each day. Within the first week it became clear that the most important events happening in our country and around the world are insufficient to fill all 24 hours in a single day. CNN quickly became an “entertainment network,” and other networks appeared across the dial. Broadcasts like “Good Morning America,” “The Today Show,” and “CBS This Morning” offer little in the way of news and are composed primarily of segments focused on entertaining their viewers.

Personally, I vowed to never watch any television broadcast labeled “news” again on the morning of November 9, 2016. I knew the election on November 8^th had been rigged, and I was depressed. Our elected officials in Washington allowed it to happen, and hid the truth from our nation’s people. I knew that morning that our government had become corrupt beyond repair and news broadcasts were controlled by Washington in collusion with our nation’s wealthiest people.

The final outcome of this failure by every person on Capitol Hill resulted in a complete lack of trust and respect for all men and women in positions of power in this once respected country by me and thousands of other informed Americans. I no longer trust anyone, including law enforcement, the entire justice system, our military leaders, all politicians, religious leaders, and 813 billionaires/ oligarchs.

Television news personalities are far from being legitimate journalists and are paid millions of dollars each year by their billionaire owners to hide the complete truth from the American people. Advertising revenues are priority number one. America’s motto: “profit before people:” continues to be our nation’s number one priority.

Op-ed by James Turnage

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