THE APATHETIC NEWS

I think I've seen about all the news reports I can cope with that use a shot of the internet to illustrate their point. Honestly, how lazy is this?

"The leader of an animal rights group today, said..." cut to shot of the group's website.

"It's been reported in the Independent..." cut to shot of the Independent newspaper's website.

"Election fever grips Turkey this week..." cut to shot of the Turkish Tourism Board website.

Oh, sure, they try to make it a little more interesting by having the page move slowly upwards, as though they're reading it as they're filming. Have you noticed this? Those three clicks on the mouse wheel have me convinced that they are doing some insightful investigative reporting here, I can tell you.

Does anyone else miss the old way of television news, where they'd send a reporter to the places they were talking about? I can visit the webpage for this animal rights group, for the Independent newspaper, for Turkey. I expect you, my news reporting friend, to be outside the headquarters of the animal rights group, at the main gates of the Independent, in Turkey. Do you not realise this? "Here's some stuff we found on the internet" isn't the same as investigating news. I get that e-mail every day and it goes straight into my spam folder. What's next, news reports trying to sell me Viagra?!