How do I loathe CNN dot com? Let me count the ways.
As of 8:30 a.m. ET, the actual link from CNN's main page for a story about a Special Olympics ad campaign against referring to the developmentally delayed by schoolyard epithets had the following url:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/03/20/obama.special.olympics/index.html?cfm=tards
It's the last five letters of the url you particularly wanna look at. Cute, huh?
Other examples of prime word choice:
Gal who shot rapist dad freed after 18 years
Doggy's doo contains $400 he ate (I don't know why this is news. You'd have to ask them. Human interest I guess.)
But there's more! Octumom Confessions! What Your Husband Really Wants! Brides-to-be Battle Over Gowns! (with jello, I hope)
I don't dispute CNN dot com's constitutional right to be idiotic, shallow, and juvenile. What I object to is their right to be considered the nation's quasi-official news source while they do so.
And I totally, totally cringe every time someone on this site uses as evidence in an argument that "It's on CNN!" We of all people should know better.
We're in a hell of a fix right now, and to quote is it Howland Owl? "Just when we need every ounce of brain power we can muster, two of our ounces is missing." If CNN wants to be taken seriously as a news source, then they need to report what's actually going on-- and focus their attention on it for at least as long as my dog focuses on a bluebird on the windowsill.
Last week they spent three #$%ing days on a story to the effect that Dick Cheney (ol' Mr. 11% or whatever) doesn't think much of the job Obama's doing! I hope Obama has taken note. Not sure why we're sposta.
How long is it gonna be till we, at least, recognize CNN as the tabloid that it is and stop treating it as a serious member of the media?
Thanks for letting me rant.