Tv News Ratings Are in the Toilet

And They Aren't Coming Back Anytime Soon

As you probably know, tv news ratings are down. Way down.

I heard one slightly panicked executive say that he fully expects a rebound after the inauguration.

Bwahahahaha.

I realize that I’m only one person and cannot speak for everyone. Having said that, I’m pretty good at reading the room. I also tend to know that if I’m thinking/feeling something, there’s an excellent chance a lot of other people are as well. Not everyone of course, but enough to make a difference in advertising dollars.

I want that executive to know that I will not be watching the news again after the inauguration.

In fact, until the President-elect is gone I won’t be back. (You can define “gone” anyway you want- in prison, a memory care unit, six feet under, etc.) I have seen and heard enough from him to last me 1000 lifetimes. I cannot bear his lies, his vindictiveness, his stupidity. I also know that a lot of people will be hurt by the policies he is planning on enacting. The mere sound of his voice is like nails on a chalkboard- it makes me want to scream and throw something at the tv. And since I need my tv for watching pleasant things like “Elsbeth” and “Matlock” I can’t afford to break it.

I also can’t bear how the news, especially cable news, has covered Trump. They’ve given him pass after pass. For ratings, to get on his good side, whatever. They’ve had their fun and now they must pay the price.

Even Fox And Friends has seen a dip in ratings, although not as much as other stations. I assume it’s because their viewers are a lot less discerning.

Honestly, since I stopped watching the news, I’ve been less stressed. And I do not feel as if I’m missing anything. When something big happens, like the murder of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, I hear about it. And then I can decide if I want to go online and read the details from a trusted source. Tv news is no longer a trusted source. They’ve become the National Enquirer of broadcast journalism. I wouldn’t be surprised if they reported that Melania was having a baby with an alien. Actually, she already did that.

The American people have had enough. If I were an executive at CNN or MSNBC I’d be looking for a new job. And thinking long and hard about what I did wrong.

Instead of calling Trump President-elect, they should be referring to him as convicted felon President-elect. That would certainly be a step in the right direction towards winning me back.

But since that seems unlikely, I will continue my self-imposed news ban. I guess when January 20 rolls around and ratings are still way down, the powers that be will have to come to grips with the fact that they blew it.

Which gives them about six more weeks to pretend all will be fine.

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