I am always desiring to have a citizenry informed about the news and events of not only our country, but also the world.
One of the truly important, and also inspiring stories, took place Monday in Zimbabwe as millions of people voted peacefully in the first election since the long-overdue ouster of Robert Mugabe. The election was no small thing. The outcome will go a long way in determining the former British colony’s future for decades.
I went to bed last night listening to BBC radio for updates, and spent the day with either newspaper accounts or media updates via the computer.
But when turning to the evening newscasts on major networks in the United States I found what can only be described as a severe lack of sound editorial direction. Neither CBS or NBC had a single mention of the story--with CBS not even having a mention of ANY international news. NBC decided to carry a closing story about a basketball player.
Many minutes were spent on the large and raging wildfires in California. Yes, they are news and impact many lives. But from a news editor perspective the stories and images of the fires have been on the nightly broadcasts for a week, and nothing appreciably different occurred Monday.
Meanwhile a very significant vote was underway in a major African nation, where for the first time since Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980 after a brutal guerrilla war against a white supremacist regime, Mugabe was not on the ballot.
And it deserved coverage!
Thankfully each evening in our home we record on the DVR the BBC World News. The BBC continuously provides full coverage and insight about the world. It is due to the shortcomings of programs, such as the network newscasts this evening, which help create a citizenry that is under-educated about international events.
CAFFEINATED POLITICS 