no news at cnn

HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO EVERYONE.

Have you noticed increasingly that there is no news on the news?

Below I have quoted the headlines from today’s front page of CNN.com (sorry Time Warner). As you read through the list of headlines make a note of those which you feel are actual news that could affect you personally. So much of what passes as news is not news, but celebrity gossip, crime news that affected people you will never ever meet, human interest stories that aren’t so interesting, and stuff that has been reported just because it is weird.

HEADLINES FROM CNN HEADLINE NEWS on HALLOWEEN, 2008 at 8:12am EDT:

• 7.5 million homeowners find selves ‘underwater’ *
• BBC star loses $2.4m in phone call row
• Hebrew text found, dates back to Old Testament
• Bones, ID found near Fossett wreckage
• Husband killed teacher, fake cried, cops say
• Inappropriate’ action grounds 2 Blue Angels
• Refugees flee during lull in Congo fighting *
• Mom rents killer video after tot last seen
• Two arrested in Obama effigy incident *
• Ticker: Could McCain lose his home state?
• Woman chained to home lost 7 others
• Hudson nephew likely died in SUV, police say
• Hero mourns the one he couldn’t save
• Airlines begin cutting fares for holiday travel *
• Pardon sought for executed witches

As you probably guessed, the asterisks that I added were stories that I felt genuinely affected me. Not stories, mind you, that were interesting, because there were several others, but stories that actually had the capability of affecting me. I am not making an argument that the news should only be about overarching issues that affect all of us. No, instead what I am trying to say is that these cannot be the only important stories in the world, can they?

Wouldn’t you really like a story like the one about the Congo to not have to compete for attention with “BBC star loses $2.4m in phone call row?” If we actually click on the Congo story we see further information that says:

• NEW: Rebels, Red Cross say cease-fire is being observed in eastern Congo
• Rebel leader says cease-fire provides opportunity for aid for refugees
• Tens of thousands fleeing violence; soldiers accused of rape, killings, looting
• U.N.’s biggest peacekeeping mission stretched to the limit in Congo

C’mon folks this has got to be more important of a story than the one about abusive phone calls being made by some BBC broadcaster that has cost him $2.4 million. Yet, which story has primacy in CNN’s listing of stories? Better yet, do we even know why the folks in the Congo are fighting? Do we even know why thousands of people have been killed? Where is the sense of proportion?

Even worse in my mind is that in the Top 10 most-viewed stories on CNN.com that there are maybe 3 important stories, and the Congolese article isn’t even on there. I don’t want to be preachy, because I’m not. It’s just that I am beginning to agree with some of the extreme “lefties” out there that the other stories just contribute “noise” to the news. Noise that we seem only too happy to tune into. Yikes! And as you all know the economy is in a worrisome state, and executives have looted their companies and shareholders, and the war in Iraq continues, and Afghanistan is getting tough again, etc. etc. So isn’t it comforting to know that an ID was found near Steve Fossett’s wreckage?

Unfortunately, I am not sure what to do about this slide into mediocrity by the major news outlets except TO be pissed off. Consider the soapbox dismounted.

I hope that each of you has a good weekend!

Jason