Cbs vs Npr free essay sample

There are so many different ways of acquiring the latest news nowadays because the twenty-first century likes to stay on top of things. From radio stations to television channels, to online websites to newspapers, citizens around the world can stay up to date with current news topics in the most convenient ways for them. Although there are so many different sources within categories such as television programs and newspapers, the two news sources I will be focusing on comparing and evaluating are news presented by CBS Evening News and NPR’s Hourly News Summary on June 6, 2012. There are many similarities and differences between these two news sources but both are popular amongst viewers and listeners alike. CBS Evening News is traditional half hour national news, and the National Public Radio is an advocacy type news source. The major difference between these two sources is that CBS is a television show that is viewable, and NPR is a radio program in which the audience can only listen to the news as opposed to seeing it. In terms of presenting reliable information and capturing the audience’s attention, I believe CBS Evening News is a more popular and dependable news source. CBS Evening News covered a series of news within around a twenty one minute time frame. In the beginning, there were short preview clips of the various news topics that were to be discussed in the segment. Scott Pelley was the main newsman for the show, but the segment went back and forth to various other newsmen in relation to each topic being discussed. In terms of access to reliable information, CBS news includes a lot of reliable sources, as shown in the clips in the news piece. They personally send people to interview first-hand sources such as governors (Dean Reynolds) and effected workers, retract information from political directors (John Dickerson), and capture video clips of protests at the actual site. What CBS did that kept viewers watching was they knew how to order their news in terms of when to present each topic during the segment. They left the most admirable, tear-jerking news to the end of the show while displaying short previews throughout the segment to keep the viewers watching the whole program. The widow of a war veteran who waited for her husband’s return all her life recently discovers where he is actually buried. The story of how she finally got to know the truth of her late husband’s bravery and sacrifice for the country definitely ended the show winning the hearts of viewers. National Public Radio’s major difference compared to CBS is that the news coverage is presented in the form of a radio program instead of a television show. Thus, the audience can only hear the news instead of people able to actually see the evidence. This is good for busy audiences who are on-the-go and want to listen to the news while they drive to work, school, etc. NPR also has some reliable resources as well, for they include their own interviews from some first-hand sources. The average length of each topic discussed on NPR is about four minutes. Between these two differing news sources, there are also several similarities as well. One similarity is that they present some of the same news topics, as expected because it is a popular discussion within that day. One of the common topics talked about in both sources was about Ray Bradbury. He recently passed away and both news sources covered how his numerous writings such as popular book Fahrenheit 451 reached and interested many readers. Both sources like to incorporate a wide range of news topics to adhere to a wider range of audiences. They not only focus on covering political news or only talk about how the economy is doing, but they expand it out to let people know about current news around the world like Japan and Afghanistan. The two sources also do some news coverage on well-known people including authors, scientists, war veterans, and celebrities. Depending on the audience’s preferences’, one might prefer CBS over NPR. Nowadays, because the media is so big, lots of people like to see what they are hearing as related to the cliche phrase, â€Å"seeing is believing. † More and more people are turning to television for their source of entertainment, leisure, news, and pastime. Just like arguments made in numerous controversial issues such as religion, people tend to not believe something unless there is sold proof that they can see themselves. Thus, many like to watch the news on television because news sources like CBS presents viewers with actual video footage, pictures, graphs, and faces of people who are speaking and being interviewed. It gives the audience a sense of assurance that the news is not just simply talk, and they have proof to show. Some may argue that NPR is just as good as a source as CBS even though it is not actually viewable. It is true that NPR is a great news source as well, for one can even go on the NPR website and look up news there. However, the fact that CBS is a television show simply appeals more to viewers because of the fact that people are able to watch the news instead of only being able to hear people speaking. Also, people may argue that NPR is a better news option because it is more mobile and can be listened to during a car ride. However, CBS’s news and show segments are all posted online on their website to be watched if one misses the show for a certain day. There are so many reliable ways in which people can go to in order to obtain up-to-date news information, wherever one may be. When looking and evaluating popular forms of news sources such as CBS and NPR, obvious similarities and differences are shown. Both are reliable and present news that are controversial, entertaining, and are a popular issue happening currently. Although both CBS and NPR are dependable sources, CBS is the better choice, for it allows viewers to see actual evidence and proof of what is being discussed.