1,000 Killings In Mexico Border Town.

CNN Headline

CLICK.  I click on this because it is astonishing, appalling, and shocking.  Why then, do I see that the actual webpage of the article has the headline as “12 Slain in Mexico Identified as federal officers”?  I know sexy article titles are the name of the game, but this has taken it too far.  It is irresponsible to manipulate your audience in this manner, just to get extra clicks and to drive a few more eyeballs.  I took this headline to mean that right now, there were 1,000 killings in Mexico.  Yes, a version of this is true: since the start of the year there has been deaths.  It is a terrible thing and I’m glad that we live in a part of the world that is safe and we have the freedom of press to cover these sorts of things.  What I have a problem with is the deception of your audience, CNN.  Very quickly, your smart audience (and yes, we’re smart), will realize what you’ve done.  And just as quickly, they will voice their opinion or turn to other news options.

CNN Article

I respect CNN people such as Larry King and Anderson Cooper.  I feel that they’re genuine and committed to journalism.  But as far as the general mass media CNN.com site goes, I am consistently disappointed.

Today reminded me of 2006, when CNN declared BREAKING NEWS surrounded by a yellow text box that Whoopie Goldberg became co-host of The View.  Co-Host.  Of.  The.  VIEW.  For crying out loud CNN, if you’re going to pump out news, do it with dignity.