I was thinking about…

The Impact of 24-Hour News on Gen X

by Andy Lee

I was thinking about…how cable television, and specifically the launch of 24-hour news networks like CNN, reshaped the way Gen X consumed information. We were the first generation to have breaking news piped into our living rooms at all hours, and it forever changed how we experienced major events.

Before cable TV, news was something you waited for. We’d sit down at 6 or 10 to catch Walter Cronkite or Peter Jennings deliver a polished, curated summary of the day’s events. But when Ted Turner launched CNN in 1980, he changed the game completely. For the first time, we had access to news 24/7. It was mind-blowing. We didn’t have to wait for anything — major events, crises, scandals, and world-shaking headlines were all delivered to us in real-time.

One of the first real tests of this format came with the Gulf War in 1991. Gen X watched the coverage unfold like never before. For the first time, war wasn’t just a black-and-white grainy newsreel played a day later; we saw it happen live. There was something surreal about watching reporters deliver updates from the battlefield, missiles lighting up the Baghdad skyline behind them. We were the generation that saw war not through the lens of history, but right as it happened.

Then came 9/11. Most of us still remember where we were that morning. I, like many Gen Xers, tuned in to CNN as soon as the first plane hit the World Trade Center. We were glued to our screens, watching in horror as events unfolded in real-time. The non-stop coverage of that day and the days that followed was a reflection of how much news had evolved since the birth of 24-hour networks. For Gen X, those moments were defining. We saw the world change in the blink of an eye, and cable news was the vehicle that delivered that reality straight to us.

While the constant flow of information shaped our understanding of the world, it wasn’t without its downsides. The saturation of information sometimes led to anxiety and fatigue. But there’s no denying the impact. 24-hour news revolutionized the way we digest world events and connect with the world around us, shaping us as the first truly media-savvy generation.

Stay informed, keep questioning 📰🕰️