CNN vs the Tabloids

Since we started Word of Mouth two months ago, we've received many topic suggestions from listeners, many of which became on-air segments. One listener has written several times, encouraging us to examine the headlines on CNN.com.

One of his emails – with the subject line "Is CNN now the Weekly World News?" – underscores headlines like "Cannibalistic Iguana Chokes On Toy Lizard" and "Six-Legged Kitty Named Hex Needs Surgery."

CNN's headlines have been the focus of some humor and chagrin in the blogosphere, and it seems like the network itself is getting into the game - you can now buy official CNN t-shirts printed with its own campy headlines.

But kidding aside, if solid journalism from one of America's leading news sources is eroding, that can be a serious matter. Keene State media professor Mark Timney volunteered to perform an unscientific, one-week survey of CNN.com's coverage for us, and he joined Word of Mouth to tell us what he found.

Professor Timney created a pie chart that breaks down CNN.com's content over a one-week period. Click on the thumbnail to expand.

(Photo by Shawn Honnick)