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I’d love to join, but this is one of the instances where I can’t join in the action – I don’t watch or read CNN precisely because of the nature of the content. Good luck to the rest of you!
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- OBJECTIVE
- Cable News Network LP, LLLP (1 CNN Center Atlanta,GA) must separate human interest stories from real news
- TERMS
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If we reach exactly 1,000,000 people, then we will stop clicking on CNN's human interest stories
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- THE PITCH
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Over the years, the content on CNN.com has become increasingly trivial. It’s impossible to read about issues of real importance on CNN without being forcibly exposed to celebrity gossip. A lot of people would know nothing about Paris Hilton or Britney Spears if outfits like CNN – which for some reason we’ve mistaken as a legitimate news source – didn’t shove it down our throats.
Of course, CNN is only responding to the market. Human interest stories are consistently the most popular on CNN.com, pointing to the fact that they are what people want. The problem is this: I, like most Americans, find these stories irresistible. It’s like handing us a big bowl of ice cream – we know we shouldn’t take it, but it’s right in front of our face, will it really hurt anyone? We go to CNN.com for our news for the same reason we don’t buy ice cream – if junk food in our house, we know we will lose control.
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Recent Discussion
I really love CNN – not nearly as much as my addicted husband however. An not nearly as much as NPR any more. I lost interest when News on CNN became old. When they stopped NEWS and started with filler — even renewing old stories and calling it news. They did it tonight! Frustrating.
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Last 8 replies
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Gary Heayes replied on Jan 15, 2008It’s not just CNN, of course. Even the BBC site and political blogs like HuffPo feature Paris/Britney fluff. I don’t know if it’s part of an attempt to ‘round out’ their coverage or simply because their stats show that readers click through. Either way, I try very hard to resist, and very rarely click on the stories these days. It helps that I don’t live in the US, and often don’t recognize the so-called ‘celebrities’. Who is Lohan, and why is she famous? Don’t know and don’t care.
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Shane Vitarana replied on Feb 14, 2008
I agree as well. But they are probably under pressure from advertisers to feature more sensational stories, so the advertisers need to be blamed as well.
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Kevin Snyder replied on Apr 14, 2008
I’ve already reduced my traffic to CNN.com but am willing to stop going altogether
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Mark Githens replied on Apr 16, 2008
I am sick of the little cable channel that could wasting time on trivia. Even Anderson Cooper has started an inane, “caption the dumb photo,” segment, complete with sappy music.
I have written CNN directly, hope this has more impact
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Post Reply
I completely agree about the need to get rid of so much garbage – but please, please don’t confuse these celebrity-obsessed features with human interest. There’s very little either human or interesting about Paris and Britney. There IS legitimate human interest television out there that has nothing at all to do with this junk. (Check out www.LETV.org for one project.) CNN used to do the real deal – about ordinary people addressing real issues, for example, in environmental concerns.
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rob garrity replied on Oct 20, 2007Thanks for the thoughts Martha. I think we need more precise language as well.
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