News Flash – Paula Abdul Quits American Idol

Now that I am blogging regularly I have become a news junkie. I am always on the prowl for interesting ideas to write about, so the computer and the Internet are now my life.

I bop from Google Top Stories to the BBC to the Boston Globe, links from each taking me on sometime endless journeys. It is a process that has me much more aware of the big issues facing our country as well as some sense of what is happening around the world.

Like this BBC news flash: Paula Abdul Quits American Idol.

Confused World

Yes, it is a strange, no make it confused world we live in. One where there seems to be no definition as to the term real news.

It was a couple of weeks back, I guess, when I was surfing, this time reviewing Google Trends for story ideas. I was surprised to see a name again and again, one I was unfamiliar with.

Erin Andrews.

The name came up about a dozen times. First Erin Andrews. Then Erin Andrews, ESPN. Then Aaron Andrews (yea, the trends include those people who can’t spell and I guess there are a lot of them).

Then Erin Andrews Peephole Video. Ouch.

Suddenly I knew what was happening. I just had no idea who Erin Andrews was.

But of course that is the beauty of the Internet. Very soon I did know who she was and why she was all over the Google Trends page.

And before I was done, the newshound had spent 30 plus minutes on a worthless tid bit that somehow passed for news in certain sectors.

BBC Latest Headlines, Not Google Trends

Which brings me back to Paula Abdul Quits American Idol: number nine today on the BBC latest headlines.

It was a list that started strong:

Defiant Iran President Takes Oath

Freed American Reporters Return Home to US

But soon turned to:

Zambia Reporter in ‘Porn’ Trial

Ancient Spiders Yield 3D Secrets

And the real biggie:

Paula Abdul Quits American Idol

They of course represent three separate categories: some real news followed by a story or two with the proverbial hook to try to draw a reader (porn trial, spiders) to yes, the ones featured on Google Trends (Ms. Abdul). Got to have the stories that match the hot search terms or you won’t get Google hits.

You have to try and grab those readers that did not know there is an ongoing crisis going on in Iran or that we had some captive reporters that had finally been reunited with their loved ones.

For some, today was a big day.

Yes indeed, a very big day.

It seems that Paula Abdul Quit American Idol.