The 24-Hour National News Networks fill the airways with a mix of news/opinions/pundits/discussions etc. These networks no longer just represent the reporting of news but rather the shaping of news and what they want America to hear and feel.  Most local newscasts have 30 minutes to deliver local and national news, weather, and sports.  Some of the stations will also have a local “feel good story” and maybe even a “consumer advocate piece” a few times a week. The total amount of time spent on National/Political news might be 5-10 minutes.  Local newscasts deliver facts and let the viewers decide how to feel. The 24-hour networks feel they have a right to offer their opinion as part of the news, that somehow their paid pundits are more of an expert than an average citizen who thinks for themselves. These networks used to do a better job of separating the news from opinions by having different shows throughout the day, now it is all mixed together and even the journalists offer opinions.  Some felt slighted when local stations were invited to participate in the White House Press Briefings via Skype. This shows the arrogance of these networks that they alone are the experts of news and local stations are beneath them. This should have been applauded as more access to the press and not just the self-imposed media elite.  When National News Networks can be thought of as Liberal or Conservative then they are no longer News Networks, but rather Entertainment Networks centered around political news stories.  A news journalist’s role is to report facts, investigate stories and keep a check on those in power. It is not to create, shape or push a political agenda based on the station’s particular audience.