Is anyone else repulsed by the marketing of the Shuttle Landing?
 

I'm seeing commercials on all the 24-7 news networks for "Live Coverage of Space Shuttle Landing!".

The only reason the landing is news is because of a possible repeat of the last landing. It seems like they are trying to reap profits off the possible crashing of the Shuttle.

Kinda sickens me to see actual promotion ("tune in to watch!") going on for this.

This is what our for-profit media has become.

Overall, if people recognize that our shuttle fleet is outdated and it renews an interest in the Space Program, we might be able to come up with the right design instead of going to the lowest bidder. We've come a long ways since the 1970's in terms of material science.

and you are surprised? Why do you think people go to nascar races? To see drivers make left turns all day?

I assume people go to NASCAR races because they pull for a team and want to see who wins?

Now hockey on the other hand.

;)

It's always been like that, jAZ.

The news coverage hasn't always been for profit. It wasn't until deregulation in the early 80s that things started going down hill - fast.

I meant that they have always gotten a stiffy over a potential tragedy. Shoot, look at what happened during the Apollo 13 mission.

No because I don't make it a point of going around trying to be offended of things.

I thought it was because of Drudge...

Media is supposed to cover tragedy and news. Hell, they can get a "stiffy" all they want.

But don't tell me they were running commericals trying to get people amped about watching Apollo 13.

My complaint isn't about the fact that the new focuses on tragedy. That's the very nature of the news business. It's that the news media about 20 years ago, became a profit center for mega-media corporations. Which in effect too away the public interest aspect and replaced it (more so than is appropriate, IMO) with the sharehold interest.

It wasn't always this way, and it doesn't have to stay this way. This kind of profiteering off national tragedy is repulsive, but it is a very natural extension of a profit-centered news media.

Actually, they were.

It was 60 minutes when they were actually reporting. Then they found they could bust on someone every episode and get the ratings. News is not news anymore, its infotainment.

ROFL

nailed it.

If it helps keep attention to the space program and gets people interested in it, I have no problem.

ROFL

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