Last week Glenn screamed at me again. So did Ed. An hour later Bill yelled at both me and his guests. What could I have possibly done to deserve this kind of treatment?

I know we’ve never really been friends per se, but these guys have been over to my house quite frequently. For years actually. When they are at your house, I suppose they are yelling at you, too?

Cynicism aside, the more television I watch these days the harder it gets to circumvent loud-noise anchors and their talking heads literally screaming out their parts.

Across the dial, no matter whether news, sports, or financial shows, as someone who observers digital media professionally, I find today’s cable TV’s in-your-face posturing socially as fascinating as it’s personally annoying.

Driven by ever more channels competing with each other and likewise all competing against the Web’s real-time media prowess, as more clips and snippets of today’s super-charged TV fair make it online, this might be deserving of a whole new category.

Think digital media, social media, streaming media - you name it. Why then not make screaming media the latest addition to our growing digital media lexicon? (Media is an industry in great flux anyway. Hey, what’s another term?)

So, what does Walter (Cronkite) have to do with any of this? Or Don (Hewitt)?

Actually nothing! Literally! Their television was entirely different.

Walter never felt the need to scream at anyone while on the air. And Don never thought his anchors should have to yell at audiences to be noticed. Yet, in today’s 24/7 hyperbole media world screaming media seem to turn into the new quasi standard.

It’s as if, with the passing of these two major newscaster giants, the torch has been passed to the televised screamers.

Translation: higher ratings? Maybe. Improved audience retention? Possibly.

I always thought people started screaming either when they where in pain or uncontrollably mad. Of course, professional actors also yell from time to time if so required by the role they play.

Maybe my TV anchors and journalists are acting, then. I certainly don’t want to think they are in pain.

I still have difficulty getting with the program though, Don.

Literally! Pun intended.