While I've been in Leipzig, my news has come mostly from BBC and CNN Europe. On Sundays I sometimes go to the central railway station and pick up the International Herald Tribune, but it's thin compared to the New York Times, and I don't like reading on-line. So CNN Europe has been my source of information -- and of an interest that goes beyond the actual news stories. There are a lot of differences between these CNN newscasters and those back home on ABC, CBS, and NBC.
First of all, here they don't look like actors. Some of the women are heavy. Some of the men are funny-looking. Nobody's hair looks sprayed into rigidity. Their suits can seem wrinkled. And their voices are not standard-mid-Atlantic, either -- Richard Quest of CNN sounds as if he's permanently caught in mid-gargle.
Americans are supposed to be the most informal people in the world ("Hiya! How ya doing?"), but these CNN reporters give out the news far more informally than Tom Brokaw or Brian Williams ever would. One said, during a series of technical glitches while trying to broadcast from the G-20 summit: "I know it sounds as if we're trying to bring you this with two tin cans and a piece of string, but just bear with us a sec." Another said, "Well, I've rambled on about that long enough, let's move on..." Election night coverage included this: "I'd tell you what's going to happen, but how the hell would I know?" Refreshing!
Finally, there is much more coverage of Asia and Africa than in U.S. news. The commercials, however, are just as simplistic and repeat just as often. I think I have now seen 4,396 times the tourist-bait commercial for "Incredible India," in which a beautiful, red-sari-ed woman floats alone through various India attractions (the Taj Mahal, a mountain precipice, temple steps, a desert), giving the impression that all of India is inhabited only by her and a clutch of camels.
Some inanities are universal.
8 comments:
I bet they don't have a hologram. You have no journalistic standards if you don't have a hologram.
Sincerely,
John-Mark
How much are they covering the Obama victory in Europe?
I used to date that Indian woman when I was in High School, but I just couldn't put up with the camels.
Luke-- There's extensive coverage of Obama, even now that the election's over.
More coverage of Asia and Africa than in U.S. television news? So, more than nil, then? ;)
How much coverage of Mexico, Csnada, the Caribbean, MesoAmerica?
I tend to suppose that the neighbors get more coverage than the far aways. Africa is Europe's Latin America.
Remember, most of those places used to be their colonies, and Euronations still have deep financial interests in them.
I think there is rather a lot of coverage of Asia in US news. Medvedyev/Putin gets face time every time he rattles his saber. North Korea gets a mention for anything nuclear. China is in all the time for economic reasons.
Africa, granted, not so much. Then again, I just read where Somali pirates are holding a supertanker for ransom and it's not like I'm actively searching out any of these stories.
So the question is, is US news US-centric and European news not Europe centric?
With a nod and a wink to cd, I've been to India. It really is inhabited only by that lovely woman and ALL THOSE DAMN CAMELS! Camels are nasty brutes. They spit, you see. They have excellent aim, and they spit at whatever they don't like.
And they don't like much.
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