CNN - Should it Be Rated "R"?

CNN, as far as I know, has always been known for its superior news coverage. They have stayed away from rhetoric and opinions for the most part and simply aimed to show people what was going on in the world.

Recently, however, their news reports and the scenes they show are way beyond what I feel is acceptable. Several times a day CNN announces a warning that the images we are about to see are very graphic, and may be offensive to some viewers. The question begs itself then: Is this necessary?

People have been getting killed violently since the beginning of mankind. In the past, simply telling American viewers that people were being slaughtered and tortured was enough. In 2009, however, it seems that the media feels they have to show horribly graphic images to us for the "shock value".

I remember a time, not so long ago, where Internet users had to visit specific sites that were dedicated to blood and gore in order to see these horrible images. Now I can just turn on CNN and watch a young girl known as "Neda" being shot to death, or see a tattered corpse covered in blood sitting in the back of an automobile.

In my opinion, showing these images is in very poor taste, especially from a leading news network such as CNN. I worry that it will set a precedent and that very soon, television news stations will display more and more horrific images, trying to outdo one another in a macabre rhetoric contest.

And to add insult to injury, CNN is airing the opinions of random people via Twitter, which is more suitable to the realm of talk radio than professional media coverage. Why would anyone in their right mind care what Jane from Ohio has to say about what is going on in Iran? The line between information and entertainment is more than being blurred; it is being eradicated completely.

If I want shocking images and horrifying coverage of battles, I can go to the movies. If I want unbiased coverage of world events, I would like to think the news media would be that medium. Sadly, that is not the case anymore, if it ever was.

What are your opinions on the new format CNN has chosen to inform us of important events? Do you feel we need images of young girls dying in their father's arms with blood pouring out of their noses and mouths in order to understand that something terrible is happening?

I myself do not, and I feel it is an insult to the intelligence of America to bring the news in such distasteful fashion. I can only hope this is a trend that will fall by the wayside with plaid suits and parachute pants, but something tells me it is here to stay. After all, any press is good press, right?