CNN's Shocking News-to-Weather/Obits Ratio
 

It's no secret that the websites of traditional news outlets are hunting for pageviews as desperately as, say, gossip blogs. Which explains why CNN.com — normally where we find Anderson Cooper's transcripts so we can perform our nightly dramatic readings before sleepy time — isn't so much a gatekeeper of hard news as it is a wet toilet paper magnet of sensational headlines. "Out of a possible 20 'news' items on CNN.com, a full 15 focus on death (usually violent death), crime, weather, religion, or celebrity," says an author who has an interest in reporting these things. "Of the remaining 5 items, 2 are related to politics, 1 is related to business / entertainment, 1 is science, and 1 is random. In other words, about 80% of news is simply death, weather, or fame."

Aug 4, 2008 · 6 views (beta) · Link · Respond
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