Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for May 17, 2022

  1. Img 0910
    BE THIS GUY  over 2 years ago

    The network evening news was also 15 minutes until 1963 and only 30 minutes after that.

    You have to fill up 24 hours with something, even if it’s crap.

     •  Reply
  2. Coyote
    eromlig  over 2 years ago

    Too true to be funny. Good job, Stephan.

     •  Reply
  3. Missing large
    David_the_CAD  over 2 years ago

    This is a true but sad statement about our modern times. Yes there has always been bias in the news, that is part of human nature. Now adays people make up lies and twist the truth, all in the name of ratings.

     •  Reply
  4. Bluedog
    Bilan  over 2 years ago

    As I mentioned once before, 60 Minutes is oddly the one that made that change. They were the first news show to turn a profit.

     •  Reply
  5. Brain guy dancing hg clr
    Concretionist  over 2 years ago

    It has begun to become clear that humans are unable to live (well) with the results of science and engineering. And yes, I’m aware of the irony.

     •  Reply
  6. Ding a ling
    BasilBruce  over 2 years ago

    Sadly, none of this is news to me.

     •  Reply
  7. Zooey girl
    ronaldspence  over 2 years ago

    That is one wise ass!

     •  Reply
  8. Missing large
    Pointspread  over 2 years ago

    That is one wise ass.

     •  Reply
  9. Eveningledger connie
    Johnny Q Premium Member over 2 years ago

    Remember the 2016 Michigan primary when they wouldn’t cover Bernie Sanders’ victory speech because they preferred half an hour of dead air while waiting for Donald Trump to speak?

     •  Reply
  10. Crazyforkedindianpalmsquirrel max 1mb
    B UTTONS  over 2 years ago

    Journalism was once an honorable profession, complete with fact checking. Today it is only for the advertisement clicks, based on knee jerk reactions on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, WhatsApp, TikTok. Cannot do fact checking and be a knee-jerk at the same time, so there is no fact checks.

     •  Reply
  11. Ng20240415 091557 2
    OOOW SW  over 2 years ago

    ?

     •  Reply
  12. Grandbudapesthotel cr alamy
    Imagine  over 2 years ago

    The US is so screwed. And completely self-inflicted.

     •  Reply
  13. Noodleman 2  2
    Cornelius Noodleman  over 2 years ago

    I get my news from GoComics!

     •  Reply
  14. P1030260
    einarbt  over 2 years ago

    I do wonder what Wise Ass is sitting on. Not saying what my first impression was.

     •  Reply
  15. Fb img 1539673502205
    GeorgeInAZ  over 2 years ago

    It’s more complicated than that. Yes, corporate execs were pressured to get earnings higher, and that meant being profitable (or at least closer to profitability) on all time segments, news included. But it was no coincidence that all the networks, staffed by producers and reporters from the same schools teaching the same perspective, broadcast the same news duration, albeit with different faces. That continued until an upstart entrepreneur offered a news network with a different perspective that attracted an underserved demographic. Its bias was no worse than the mainstream’s, but it was jarringly different — and jarringly popular, drawing in a lot of viewers and a lot if dollars in advertising. Its success was infuriating to the mainstream, because it clashed so much with what they’d been taught. And the owners were so invested in multiple ways that emulating the competition was problematic. Even so, it became apparent that the best strategy for profits and popularity was to go to extremes in whichever narrative they used — progressive or populist. And the public, at least the public with an interest in current events, were drawn in by the taste of blood. And here we are.

     •  Reply
  16. Large 1699141985732
    shanen0  over 2 years ago

    None of the existing economic models for journalism is working well. The two main ones are disaster porn (a la CNN) and disguised propaganda (a la FAUX). Obligatory public service, subscriptions, and advertising were all weak, but the Internet really crushed them.

    So I’d like to see a solution-oriented form of journalism. But evidently none of them are desperate enough to try it. Yet?

     •  Reply
  17. Photo
    Charles  over 2 years ago

    Once, the networks were all lockstep Leftists. Now there are options, diverse viewpoints, and occasional nuggets of actual truth.

     •  Reply
  18. Blackhawk
    WittyWeasel  over 2 years ago

    R.I.P. . . . Walter Cronkite. :-(Last of the honest journalists we trusted.

     •  Reply
  19. Missing large
    gary  over 2 years ago

    Used to be that there was a part of the news at the end where the anchor had commentary – “may not be the opinion of the network”. Now the entire show is commentary.

     •  Reply
  20. N1495118875 241922 2408
    Ermine Notyours  over 2 years ago

    When you’re angry, you’re engaged? Well, Pig is never getting married.

     •  Reply
  21. Img  glmp3r
    ne143west  over 2 years ago

    It only took one comment for Fox News to be mentioned!!!You know Fox is doing something right when more negative comments appear….than positive. The positive viewers know they do not have to defend Fox, but the anti-Fox, pro Democrat crowd can’t wait to be heard…It’s entertaining to read the Fox is facist, watched by white men only, lying racist station comments by the “I HATE TUCKER” crowd.Have a nice day, haters!!!!!

     •  Reply
  22. Neuman
    rmercer Premium Member over 2 years ago

    That’s what he’s not paid for!

     •  Reply
  23. Plumbbob wilson
    Plumbob Wilson  over 2 years ago

    The 1976 film “Network” was prophetic.

     •  Reply
  24. Ellis archer profile
    Ellis97  over 2 years ago

    Sometimes, I think money is the cause of our problems.

     •  Reply
  25. Photo 1501706362039 c06b2d715385
    Zebrastripes  over 2 years ago

    I do not watch TV news casts! I prefer to select read and not be beholden to bias sensationalism, sickening commercials! I’m so turned off by the bad news on a daily basis, being repeated over and over…..enough already! This society needs to bitch slapped into reality.

     •  Reply
  26. Bill coffee crop
    Steve Dallas  over 2 years ago

    “If it bleeds, it leads” goes back at least fifty years. Stephan is pining for a glory day that never really existed in his life time.

     •  Reply
  27. Missing large
    Denver Reader Premium Member over 2 years ago

    This strip makes me angry. That’s why I keep reading it.

     •  Reply
  28. Missing large
    mholding  over 2 years ago

    evening news is nothing but one longgggg commercial now

     •  Reply
  29. Millionchimps1
    tripwire45  over 2 years ago

    Well, yes.

     •  Reply
  30. Img 0448  2018 01 29 23 33 16 utc
    pheets  over 2 years ago

    He sums things up quite accurately.

     •  Reply
  31. Screenshot 2022 03 17 4.24.55 pm
    Comicfan (C)  over 2 years ago

    Broadcastophobia aside, he has a point

     •  Reply
  32. 461
    HOTLOTUS1  over 2 years ago

    Breaking news story just in. This is where everyone voices their view about which news is the best. Stay tuned for all the crap you’re about to read. We now join your regularly scheduled comic.

     •  Reply
  33. Gators
    Croc Holliday  over 2 years ago

    Some of us are angry for valid reasons. We got angry and tired of hearing uninformed zealots claim the 2020 election was stolen. We got angry and tired of hearing people claim their FREEDOMS! were being abridged because they were asked to wear a mask to prevent the spread of COVID. We are angry and tired of people trying to impose their wills, based on a BS argument about fetus rights being more important than the rights of the woman carrying it, on women and labeling them irresponsible for seeking abortions. We are angry and tired of tyrants like Putin invading sovereign nations and killing innocent people with impunity. We are angry and tired of your thoughts and prayers and failure to do anything substantive about gun violence.

    We have a reason to be angry, and it’s not because our favored news outlets are stoking our anger for profit.

     •  Reply
  34. 1959 chevy elcamino
    F-Flash  over 2 years ago

    As the Eagles sang, “We love dirty laundry”, Hit em when they’re up, kickem when they’re down.

     •  Reply
  35. Bob 65
    Droptma Styx  over 2 years ago

    CBS’ 60 Minutes proved news could be profitable. If you want to blame anything, this is where you start.

     •  Reply
  36. Img 1610
    WCraft Premium Member over 2 years ago

    EXACTLY!

     •  Reply
  37. Boston
    MS72  over 2 years ago

    Entertainment. I’ll even read comics about news if it’s entertaining.

     •  Reply
  38. 1017207 10200214106421862 492754112 n
    Cameron1988 Premium Member over 2 years ago

    Today’s strip is spot on!

     •  Reply
  39. Ataridragon
    AtariDragon  over 2 years ago

    Not all stories are there to produce anger. Others are there to produce feelings of smug superiority. These two types of stories are pretty much it, though.

     •  Reply
  40. Missing large
    Bruce1253  over 2 years ago

    There is a simple and cheap solution to all of this, throw out your TV. I did over 15 years ago and have never looked back.

     •  Reply
  41. Missing large
    billdaviswords  over 2 years ago

    Nearly every comment proving Pastis’ point.

    That said, while I agree with him here, I get tired of how often he repeats this same point.

     •  Reply
  42. 96480   copy  2
    Goat from PBS  over 2 years ago

    Money talks, and it talks so loud that the voice of common sense is drowned out by it.

     •  Reply
  43. Missing large
    prrdh  over 2 years ago

    There is also the fact that news media could afford to have loss leaders. They got most of their money from advertising, so they could afford to offend a few subscribers by exposing them occasionally to what they considered ‘misinformation’. Now, they have to get most of their revenues from subscriptions, so they have to assemble a pool of subscribers who all think alike and demand that things be reported in a way that confirms their prejudices.

    And don’t forget the ‘two-party system’, or as it is more precisely characterized the oligarchy with two factions that governs our country. The possibility of absolute power corrupts almost as badly as its actual possession, and by disenfranchising a plurality of American voters the parties have made it possible for one of them to take over the federal government with the approval of a minority—provided that minority is sufficiently angry to outshout everyone else and so appear a majority.

     •  Reply
  44. Missing large
    raybarb44  over 2 years ago

    I begrudgingly must agree. However, nothing new though, as newspapers have been doing that for years. TV has just refined that goal a little better…..

     •  Reply
  45. Eyeballs
    P-B  over 2 years ago

    Seems like people only think “the other side’s channel” is nothing but brainwashing propaganda because “their side’s channel” has brainwashed them its own propaganda. NEWS FLASH: They’re all garbage.

     •  Reply
  46. Missing large
    old_geek  over 2 years ago

    It is profit driven. And advertisers influence what is ‘news’. Will a news outlet do a major story that is negative towards a major advertiser? What do you see mostly in advertising these days? Pharmaceuticals. There have been billions of dollars in fines and lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies in the last few years. Do you hear much, if anything, about that on the news?

     •  Reply
  47. Missing large
    198.23.5.11  over 2 years ago

    LAUGH-IN looks at the news…Here’s Dan!!

     •  Reply
  48. Missing large
    luvdafuneez  over 2 years ago

    Spot on Pastis…seems to be a lot of engaged people in the comments today

     •  Reply
  49. Img 0014
    Charlie Tuba  over 2 years ago

    This is why I listen to NPR!

     •  Reply
  50. Missing large
    old_geek  over 2 years ago

    I might watch local news for the weather. The best weather coverage was from The Hippy Dippy Weatherman.

     •  Reply
  51. Missing large
    Captainmike  over 2 years ago

    Check out BBC or NHK news

     •  Reply
  52. Pupil
    Ka`ōnōhi`ula`okahōkūmiomio`ehiku Premium Member over 2 years ago

    This news strip made me angry.

     •  Reply
  53. Albert einstein brain i6
    braindead Premium Member over 2 years ago

    Another example that monetization is the ONLY principle. Responsibility, integrity, things like that don’t make as much money as the opposite.

    Get rid of them.

     •  Reply
  54. 42day
    Andrew Bosch Premium Member over 2 years ago

    Definitely true.

     •  Reply
  55. Edb4beaa 19ab 437d a460 cf4fba2a5e74
    syzygy47  over 2 years ago

    I kinda think the beginning of the end was the Reagan administration killing the Fairness Doctrine. Then agenda driven media moved in.

     •  Reply
  56. Bob 1
    moondog42 Premium Member over 2 years ago

    Nowadays you don’t even have to be mad at real life anymore, the certain spectrum of right wing “news” will keep you angry and engaged at any ol’ bullshit they make up, it doesn’t even have to make sense, or be consistent with what they told you to be mad about LAST WEEK.

     •  Reply
  57. Missing large
    lcargnoni  over 2 years ago

    https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/chart/sotnm-cable-total-profit-for-cable-tv/

     •  Reply
  58. Triumph
    Daeder  over 2 years ago

    Proving once again that many things shouldn’t be privatized because the profit motive gets in the way of doing things properly.

     •  Reply
  59. Missing large
    sisterea  over 2 years ago

    Beware living in an echo chamber

     •  Reply
  60. 9955efd21df5915eff04d5beb0b7f6bb
    jth4510  over 2 years ago

    You don’t need weapons to destroy the U.S. Turn people against each other and stand back!

     •  Reply
  61. Missing large
    newsbb  over 2 years ago

    I am so glad that here in Denmark we have a news network, that is funded by every adult paying something like $200 or so per year. For that we get news coverage that isn’t about ratings, but instead will report on even what might be unpopular and do so in a objective way.We also get great entertainment without ads and there programs on for mass audiences, but also programs for narrow target groups which would never be produced by commercial networks.When there is an election the network makes sure all candidates get air time, this helps ensure that money plays only a small role in politics which again means our politicians aren’t for sale.Most European countries have similar systems, one well known example would be the BBC, and a all of them are a real strength to democracy.

     •  Reply
  62. Missing large
    buflogal!  over 2 years ago

    “We are now engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated can long endure.” A. Lincoln

     •  Reply
  63. Thinker
    Sisyphos  over 2 years ago

    I don’t think we needed Wise Ass to tell us that. But if it helps you out, Pig, go for it!

     •  Reply
  64. Cathy aack
    lindz.coop Premium Member over 2 years ago

    Anger and fear…keeps folks coming back for more.

     •  Reply
Sign in to comment

More From Pearls Before Swine