The Legacy of John Mark Karr: Time to Do Away with 24 Hour News Networks?

MSNBC WAS FIRST TO BREAK THE NEWS OF JOHN MARK KARR ARREST

I just wanted to remind you of that. After all, MSNBC constantly reminded us of that fact during the last week. I have my doubts they will continue to remind us. So I will.

John Mark Karr got his fifteen minutes of fame and then some. In fact, in all likelihood this nerd received more air time on the 24 hour news channels than the genocide in Darfur, the fact that a US judge declared Pres. Bush’s NSA domestic spying program unconstitutional, or the report issued by the minority members of the House Justice Committee providing incontrovertible evidence that the White House misled the American public and Congress about the need to invade Iraq.

The question that must be asked at this point: Is it time to shut down the 24 hour news channels?

Quite obviously there is a real and pressing need for 24 hour news. Goodness knows, it’s not as if there isn’t enough going on in the world that 24 hours is too much time to cover it. The problem, however, is that none of these 24 hour news channels—neither CNN, MSNBC, or, especially, Fox—cover most of that news. Instead of reporting on substantive events taking place around the world, we get live updates on what alcoholic beverages a confessed killer was served on board the plane bringing him home.

MSNBC WAS FIRST TO BREAK THE NEWS OF JOHN MARK KARR ARREST.