Serious News Network?

All of the current cable news channels are rife with so much fluff that it's often difficult to discern what the real news is. I would like to see a new kind of cable news channel that only carries serious news. They could give it a name like Serious News Network, or SNN. Of course, its name wouldn't matter nearly as much as its content.

Here are some of the ground rules that I would propose for this channel:

1) As much national and world news as reasonably possible would be covered. Every effort would be made to cover news from all regions of the world.

2) There would be no editorializing by any of the broadcasters and no pundits would be regularly featured or employed by the channel. Reporters would not be allowed to make value judgments on any news story -- they would be directed to report all stories as is. The channel would take no official position on any story. However, politicians and political operatives across every spectrum would be interviewed from time to time. Also, opinions sent in by viewers would be read on-the-air at regular intervals.

3) No "soft" news or "feel-good" stories would be carried. In addition, no magazine-type stories or programs would be featured.

4) The reporting of facts about impending court cases would be severely limited to prevent the poisoning of jury pools. For cases involving an alleged rape, the identities of both the alleged victim and the alleged rapist would be kept confidential until a determination of guilt could be made. If the alleged rapist is found guilty or plea bargains, his identity would be revealed at that time. If the alleged victim is, at any point, found to be lying, her identity would be revealed.

5) No story, other than something involving a serious national or world crisis, could get more than five minutes of air time in any one-hour period.

6) There would be no celebrity lifestyle stories or programs. However, celebrities could be included in any serious stories they might happen to be involved in. Deaths of major celebrities and sports icons would be reported but not dwelt on. 

7) No loud or annoying music would accompany the broadcasts.

8) "Teaser lines" -- obscure, sensationalized, and often misleading references to upcoming stories -- would not be used.

9) No attempt would be made to "make" news by participating in "gotchya" journalism, assisting in sting operations, going undercover, etc.

10) Reporters with strong personalities that might overshadow the news coverage would not be hired.

11) Controversial stories would not be shied away from. However, every attempt would be made to cover all angles and viewpoints involved.

12) Stories that appeal to our voyeuristic tendencies, such as those about attractive white women kidnapped or killed, would not get a special priority (see item 5 above).

13) On election night, only the actual vote totals would be reported as they came in. No winners would be declared until they had mathematically clinched the election. Politicians' and/or candidates' internal polls would not be reported. Exit polls would be forbidden.   

14) The numbers of casualties resulting from accidents, wars, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, manmade tragedies, etc. would not be reported until at least 24 hours after the fact. In addition, the privacy of the victims and their families would be respected, i.e., no employee of this channel would shove a microphone in one of their faces shortly after the incident. 

15) No speculative reporting would be done and no anonymous or off-the-record sources would be used.