I really need to change my morning routine.
Generally, after showering and getting dressed I head downstairs for a bowl of cereal and some channel surfing.
Since I work for a newspaper I like to get a quick look at some of the major headlines of the day before leaving the house.
I always flip to CNN Headline News, which I admit never has actually given me much information beyond the latest Britney Spears debacle, and some wacky news tidbit about Atlanta (coincidentally, where CNN is based).
If there is some really major news event, say aliens have been spotted invading Delaware, Robin Meade and Company are usually all over it. We get helicopter footage of what may or may not be a flying saucer which crashed in a corn field (Delaware has a lot of corn) as Robin helpfully points out, "Oh my gosh, this looks really bad, are those real aliens? They look scary. I wouldn't want to see that in my corn field."
They'll get meterologist Bob Van Dillen (of Chillin' With Van Dillen fame) in on the action, and they'll be some concerned banter about the poor people of Delaware and what may (or may not) be happening there.
Robin's vague reporting on the situation makes you wonder if she even knows that Delaware is in the United States, or even in our galaxy. Dela-where?
So yea, it's pretty bad.
But lately, it's taken a turn for really bad.
I never thought it was possible to get less news from CNN Headline News then I'd been getting. Now the morning show is just one long commercial for the Web site. What's more, the reporters aren't giving you the information, they're telling viewers to do the work for them.
The trend in Citizen Journalism is growing. I'm going to see how it pans out before I pass any judgment on it. But I think it's irresponsible to advertise yourself as a source for news when your entire show is telling viewers to go the cnn.com to file their ireports, or see "Salute the Troops" or, the latest, share their V-mail weighing in on various topics (this morning's: Why don't men do housework after saying, "I do.")
The only news item I got while watching the show for 10 minutes this morning was about the Idaho Senator who solicited sex in a Men's bathroom.
The easies solution, I know, is to just stop watching.
But I enjoy making fun of the show too much to do that.
Perhaps there'd be more time for headlines if Comcast wasn't interrupting on CNN Headline News with its "Comcast Newsmakers" segments three to four times every hour. Comcast does have its own dedicated channel. And let's not forget the riveting "Seeking Solutions with Suzanne" segment shown three times a day.
http://www.suzanne.tv/show.asp?sid=130
(Who would have known that dried flowers can be used for decorating year round?)
And why disparage another medium when the YDR is also encouraging reader participation through a message board, posting to web stories and umpteen different user-friendly blogs?
If you get tired of making fun of Headline News, may I suggest watching The Early Show on CBS with reporter Julie Chen who moonlights as co-anchor of Big Brother. Now there's a journalistic stretch.