CNN Sensationalizes Again
Well, leave it to CNN to be overly dramatic about a serious news item. The bombings in London this morning are nothing to joke about, and I hope the current death total of 33 stays where it is and I wouldn’t do anything to take away from its seriousness. But CNN has got to get a grip. They sound (and look) more like the New York Post than the professional news channel that rocketed in popularity during the first Gulf War. Time after time I visit CNN.com or browse their headlines in their feeds and find horribly sensational headlines. For example, I think i’ve read this headline at least 5 times “Al Qaeda Leader Captured”… and then once getting to the article reading “ONE of the Al Qaeda leaders was captured today…” Yeah, one of about one hundred I’m sure. Well, it got me to their site.
Today hasn’t been any better. I woke up this morning and hit CNN and saw “TERROR HITS LONDON” in 24pt bold. A few hours later they ran the headline “WE WERE WAITING TO DIE”, which is still up as I write this. This is ridiculous and uncalled for. There is no reason in the world they need to present the news in this kind of way. Its haphazard and irresponsible. And to prove it, I thought I’d compare some sites to CNN.
Here are 3 screenshots of news sites. The first is CNN in the United States. The other two are The Guardian, and the BBC’s site, both IN the UK. If anyone owns today’s news, these guys do. If anyone should be reacting crazily, its these guys. The problem is that they aren’t as rating conscious (or starved) as CNN.
CNN.com
The Guardian
BBC.com
As you can see, the other two present the news in a calm and respectable way, oh but not CNN. Apparently their editor is a chicken, and someone had his head cut off this morning.
I’m an American living in London, and I actually did go to the CNN site at one point in the day while I was stuck in my office–saw the headline you’ve got on your screenshot. I was so incredibly annoyed and disgusted. Like you say, the news in the UK was calm, rational, and gave the facts. I can’t believe the sensationalist bullshit that was on the US sites–you’d think it had happened to them! Not to mention all the horrible things they’ve said on Fox. I tell you, I’m snapping up my British citizenship at first opportunity (this October).
Comment by Sarah Forrester — July 10, 2005 @ 5:10 pm