Canada's most trusted news source sinks to a new low

Afternoon coffee break found me browsing the headlines in the Canada section of the CBC website today. The sheer amount of scrolling and general bad website layout aside, I normally use the CBC as my main source of news.

Today's headlines from across the country are generally discussing important, newsworthy issues. More murders in Vancouver. Edmonton introduces zero-energy homes. Civil servant jobs slashed by 700 in NB. Newfoundland mourning the victims of helicopter crash.

In Ottawa? Three headlines. All city buses are now back on the road, two bodies were recovered from a lake...and the intriguing "Senators' pop star girlfriends draw another kind of fan."

I'm a hockey fan but my immediate thought was, "which Senators are dating pop stars?" I had awful images of Senators Duffy, Neufeld, and others I care not to describe. Thankfully the article was referring to hockey players, not members of the upper chamber. My feeling of relief, however, was very short lived.

In the middle of a recession, I don't want to know that Hilary Duff and Carrie Underwood are dating hockey players. I don't want to know that in the best of economic situations. Honestly, I don't care about it AT ALL. Neither should the CBC, in my opinion.

Celebrities appearing in a city isn't a news worthy event. If the celebrity is there supporting an event, or if they happen to be performing, that is PR. Not news. The personal lives of hockey players? Not news. That is private.

I'd like to think that the CBC news team has more integrity than to report on this type of tabloid nonsense, particularly in our capital where much more important stuff goes on daily.

The public's concept of what is "news" has been altered by the business of supplying it. I don't want to hear news that "sells" but news that is NEWS. Whether it be news down my street or news in my nation's capital, I want relevant, accurate, truthful news. Am I alone in this desire?

Celebrities are not news. Shame, CBC.