Traditionally, a good journalist’s job has been to tell the truth. Journalists tell us when companies exploit their workers. They tell us when police officers are biased against minorities or teens, or when they are heroes to a community. They cover stories that are dramatic, but also important, like blizzards, political protests, wars, and presidential elections.  They help us know what our world is really like.

Some contemporary news outlets are abandoning these responsibilities. They focus on stories that are frivolous or fun. Most people, they say, would rather learn about celebrities than health care reform. Is this true?

Consider an example: In March of 2024, there were major conflicts going on in Gaza and Ukraine. America was also in the midst of presidential primary elections. Were Americans paying attention to the important news of the day?

Top 15 most-viewed stories from cnn.com on March 17, 2011.

Discussion Question: 

What do the 15 most-viewed articles tell us about contemporary news viewers? Should we be embarrassed that while Gaza was in crisis, Americans were watching news stories about tumbleweeds? Or is it natural for people to want to abandon difficult concerns and read about something less serious once in a while? What do you think about stories 4 and 9? Are they just dramatic videos that exploit people’s curiosity, or are they important? Why do you think so many people were interested in stories 10 and 11 about a blizzard?