Are They 24-Hour News Channels — or 24-Hour Opinion Channels? [OPINION]

We all like to know what is going on in the world. We want to know now! The old wait for the evening news or for the news paper days are way behind us; but at what price?

We are now exposed to news as it happens in a variety of formats. We can get actual live audio and video from twenty-four hour television news networks, news radio and a variety of blogs that will send updates on our phones. We are never out of touch. We can debate if that is a good or bad thing. I personally think it is a good thing and that's not what I am on my soap box about today.

I remember when CNN launched headline news and I loved it. It was a pure news channel then. They would give you thirty minute news cast whenever you had time to watch. The key word here was "news". What get's me upset is when they bring in their analysis of the news. It's like we are not smart enough to figure it out for ourselves. It also seems to me that they are telling us what to think. Anytime I hear the word "analysis or special correspondent (or any of the other names they have for it) I tune out. The reason for these "analyst" is to fill time. You will notice their absence when real news is breaking; but the minute there is a lull you will see their faces. This is true of any 24 hour news network or any news program that stays with a breaking story. The problem with 24 hour a day news channels is that there is simply not enough news to fill 24 hour. Headline News had no problems filling 30 minutes at time. It is when they abandoned that format that they lost me.

It seems that this started back when the major networks would carry the presidential news conferences. They would all bring in an "analyst" when the president was finished speaking. This "analyst" would tell us what the president just said. We knew what he said ...WE JUST WATCHED HIM!

Then these "Analyst " will try to tell us the future. I wish I knew how many times they were wrong though that is not really the point. The point is that predicting the future is not news!

The next problem is that these "analyst" do not always have their facts straight, yet they will spew them out like they were gospel. I wonder how many of them do background checks on every fact they feed us. In other words they are lying to us. The worst thing about someone lying to you is that they must think you are stupid enough to believe them. They insult our intelligence.

Can someone please just give me the news? Tell me honestly what has happened and then shut up or change the names of your networks or news shows to "24 Hour News and Opinion." That would finally be completely honest.