"Straight Ahead" and other Fairy Tails

I'm a firm believer in history and trends.

In the 60’s people woke up, drank coffee, bought a local newspaper, went to work, came home, watched some TV and went to bed.

In 2008 people still wake up, click on e-mail, check cell phone messages, watch MSNBC, buy coffee, watch Ipod casts, go to work, log onto news formats, search Google, drive home viewing NAV systems, check e-mail, check cell phone messages, watch a reality show, take one more peek at e-mail and get to bed.

Yes information is king and if we believe bad news sells, then 24 hour news formats can be a windfall.

The most simplified definition of Economics pivots on attitude.

Believe times are bad you hold back.
Believe times are good you spend.

A recession vaulted soon after 9/11 and for really good emotional reasons.

By November 2001 GM launched zero percent, Chrysler and Ford jumped in, and the Federal Reserve Bank participated as well. Within 10 months 24 hour news makers were forced to called it a "mild" recession because they lost the key battle and really hated to loose the powerful "recession" tag line.

Now it’s January 08, 25 days after New Years, just 6 months since the Dow peaked at 14000... its cold, winter and election time.

Twenty Four Hour news require sprints of “breaking news”, "this just in", “up next” and “later on” type leading formats to capture its viewer.

How to fill the time?

The revenue makers are played out, Hurricane's, The Iraq war, Bush bashing, the election and Britney Spears, even the award winning named "Jenna 6" failed to launch.

What's a 24 hour news format to do????

Reach for the "fire box" of news stories, the always reliable, hard hitting "Household survey":

Question:
“Now that we are in a recession and the stock market is tumbling do you plan to spend your money?”

Household answer:
"No"

With glee CNN reporter Kelly Lookingood (who majored in art and fashion design) reports:

“The latest consumer survey is in and it’s a lot worse than I already predicted… 100 households surveyed if they plan to spend money this year and the answer was Absolutely NOT. All agreed that the stock market is tumbling and we are indeed in a recession”.

With a sudden 3/4 drop our new Fed Chairman proves he has an eye for news. Detroit sees it as just another January, their 16 inch incentive guns sit idle but not without ammunition.