CNN newsworthiness calculator strikes again

Events seem to be of importance inversely proportional to their distance from the CNN studios.

For example: yesterday, five coalition troops were killed in Iraq, two by small arms fire. Theirs is but one more part of the long tale of the tragedy of this war; the conflict has taken the lives of 3,517 Americans, countless Iraqis, and continues to have grave impact on the stability and security of this country and the world.

But what graces the top spot of CNN's main page, and has since the early afternoon? Why, a shooting in front of their offices! The story, destined for a Pulitzer I'm sure, is an opus of incredible journalism. I mean, the reporters had to work long and hard to find reliable sources - their friends and coworkers!

John Helton, a CNN.com producer, had a direct view of the gunman through glass doors. "I saw him coming down the escalator pulling her along, around the corner. He ran into the plant and that's when they started struggling," he said.

Riveting stuff. So what's this story that merits such incredible attention?  Like most murders, it is likely a personal and private tragedy, but one that nonetheless bears little on the lives of most readers in any conceivable direct sense. 

But it happened right in front of CNN, so we get to hear about it.

technorati tags:CNN, Media, Journamalism, Priorities