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TV News Struggles to Explain Crisis Even as Ratings Surge

Posted Sep 29, 08 4:55 PM CDT in Business,  Arts & Living 

(Newser) – TV news programs are grappling with explaining the financial crisis to an audience suddenly much more interested in business news, the New York Times reports. With CNBC seeing its highest ratings ever and CNN, Fox and MSNBC seeing bumps in recent weeks, news shows have put teams of business pundits onscreen to explain nebulous concepts like credit-default swaps to the average viewer.

“When there’s an aggressive move to one extreme or the other CNBC engagement surges,” said CNBC’s president. While complex financial products aren’t usually discussed on TV, the gradual pace of the crisis has allowed networks to explain investment vocabulary as it unfolds. “It’s as if Americans are studying for a test, and our coverage is a big part of their notes and research,” said a Fox Business anchor.
Source: New York Times

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One analyst said viewers were moved to watch crisis coverage on outlets like Fox Business by "the same basic instinct that attracts onlookers to a car crash."   (AP Photo)
"We have to find a way to cover this, in English," Jim Cramer wrote of the unfolding financial crisis to a relative who works on his CNBC show "Mad Money."   (AP Photo)
A trader takes a break as the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummets today.   (AP Photo)
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