What is the european media like vs US? (crime, credit)

[John23]

Here in the US, I dont even watch much tv anymore, in the last 10-15, its really declined in terms of quality.

Is it better or worse in europe? Have you lived in both places?

What's on, on a typical night?

Do you laugh at the media when you come back to the states?

Here in the US, the media is dominated by...

-Self help, pyscho babble, "I feel good, you feel good" television. Even old, well regarded stations (like PBS) have gotten into it (i.e. Suze Orman). As long as we feel good, we'll be ok!

-Celebrity obsession. What Britney Spears had at McDonalds is the top story on Entertainment Tonight. The OJ story was big, in terms of ushering in this era of celebrity infotainment. Then all the missing girl cases, the cable networks love (i.e. elizabeth smart, chandry levey, etc).

-Ad crazy. The credits at the end of movies are always shrunk down for ads. Little boxes and promos pop up sometimes on cable shows.

-Virtually nothing about the rest of the world. The big news stations all take themselves so seriously, CNN is the "world leader in news", and then their hour show is 2 minutes on the world, and 58 minutes on Anna Nicole Smith or Angelina Jolie.

-Tremendous fear mongering, everone tries to scare you to death. Alot of reporting on crime, "epidemics", "outbreaks", "recalls".

-Little if any thought or analysis.

[Cornerguy1]

This thread has the potential to degenerate into another "You suck!" marathon, but we'll give it a few posts.

Let's keep it on topic and civil, folks.

[AnthonyB]

Well, in the UK the newspapers have a deliberate bias - they openly support different political parties. Generally people understand that and know what the deal is, but it can be confusing to Americans who expect some kind of impartiality, or at least the pretense of it.

[Ever learning]

That depends on what u like to watch and read. As for the news, you tend to get more information over here in germany than in the US. As for TV, if u are looking to watch US shows there are quiet a few but they are older episodes.

[connie&dave]

Originally Posted by AnthonyB

Well, in the UK the newspapers have a deliberate bias - they openly support different political parties. Generally people understand that and know what the deal is, but it can be confusing to Americans who expect some kind of impartiality, or at least the pretense of it.

Impartiality? Uh can you say Fox news...

[Anarchy]

I don't watch much TV at all because most of it is reality shows such as X Factor, Strictly come dancing and other depressing reality rubbish. Celebrity news gets much more coverage than world news coverage, talk on crime is an often topic. The newspapers are entertainment more than truth much of what is said has to be taken with a pinch of salt.

[AnthonyB]

Originally Posted by connie&dave

Impartiality? Uh can you say Fox news...

I did say pretence of impartiality....
As Fox is owned by Murdoch, who was in the UK media market a long time ago and who has always taken the promotion of political viewpoints to extremes, it is actually not surprising. He learned his tricks in the UK, but the US has a different mindset so it took them by surprise.

[Moth]

Self help, pyscho babble, "I feel good, you feel good" television. Even old, well regarded stations (like PBS) have gotten into it (i.e. Suze Orman). As long as we feel good, we'll be ok!

Now that is something I agree with and was just commenting on this morning to a colleague. We Americans love this crap. Its so phony. Now I see this guy Joel Olsteen around. Another motivational speaker/charlatan masquerading as a preacher. Score one for our European friends in avoiding this insanity.

-Celebrity obsession. What Britney Spears had at McDonalds is the top story on Entertainment Tonight. The OJ story was big, in terms of ushering in this era of celebrity infotainment. Then all the missing girl cases, the cable networks love (i.e. elizabeth smart, chandry levey, etc).

I'd say its the same or worse in Europe. The UK has been transfixed by some girl who went missing in Portugal or Spain. And European tabloids, particularly in the UK and Germany, are much more ferocious than American ones. But we should both bow our heads in shame.

[Xpat]

Television:

European TV is often equally as trashy as American TV with a few twists:

-Most American television is privately owned/operated while in Europe its something like 80% publically owned//operated. This always makes me wonder who controls the editorial content of the BBC, ARD, ZDF, TF1, etc.

-In Europe, its almost entirely national TV stations while in the States it is mostly local affiliates of big networks - this has a big impact on TV news, commercials, etc

.When it comes to TV news, most of what you get in the States are the local interest stories on local stations - in other words, murders and controversies from the area. National network news covers the big issues and international stuff.

-In Europe since its almost entirely national (and 80% nationally funded), the news is...well, national and international. There are some local networks but they don't pull in many viewers (but they survive since they are publically funded).

-In the States, people can choose between the right wing Fox, center-left CNN, center-right ABC, center left CBS, and left-leaning NBC. In much of Europe, there is very little diversity of viewpoints presented (although they'll swear up and down that they are objective). German, French, Swiss, Austrian, and Belgian TV are prime examples of this and its 90% center-left. In the UK and Italy, the mix looks more like the the USA but tilted ever so slightly leftward. For example, the UK's Sky News is somewhere between Fox and CNN while Italy's RaiTre is hard left.

Newspapers:

The diversity of opinion in European newspapers and magazines is more like that in the USA but their journalistic standards are somewhat different. The kinds of unsubstantiated personal attacks against politicians, soccer coaches, etc would not fly in the US. In Europe its a rough and tumble media jungle (especially in Britain) with some islands of brilliance interspersed - sort of like we have.

[John23]

Originally Posted by Moth

Now that is something I agree with and was just commenting on this morning to a colleague. We Americans love this crap. Its so phony. Now I see this guy Joel Olsteen around. Another motivational speaker/charlatan masquerading as a preacher. Score one for our European friends in avoiding this insanity.

I forgot about Olsteen. Then Wayne Dyer on PBS, Suze Orman, Oprah and her "experts" that will solve all your problems in 2 minutes. I'd put David Bach, Kiyosaki and others in the same group. "The Secret", remember that? It's all a big club to them.

It's all in your mind! Just think good thoughts and you'll have a good life!

The power of the mind is infinite, let the subconscious work for you. Harness the power of the universe, and the universes power will come back to you...(ok, now I'm sounding like Wayne Dyer...)

Isn't PBS suppose to be the old standby, a voice of reason? The most conservative of tv channels? How did they get mixed up in all this?

Is daytime tv the same in europe?

With Jerry Springer, Ricky Lake? Or Judge Judy or something?

Is syndication as big over there as it is here?