There is a reason we are seeing more and more entertainment and ’soft’ news on the front page of CNN – people find it interesting. Likewise, there was a reason news outlets were rushing to follow Obama overseas rather than tour around McCain and his ‘Woe is me’ Express – people were curious. A viable non-white presidential candidate from arguably the most powerful nation in the world visiting France, Germany, England and the Middle East has piqued people’s interest.

Let’s be frank, we live in a superficial world. Compound that with the fact those using the web as a primary means of news gathering are generally a slightly younger demographic than those relying on traditional media. A young, attractive and charismatic candidate will appeal to more people than the older Senator from Arizona. The news media is a business, selling advertising, driving traffic and trying to capture a wide audience. They will promote what sells.

Bill Clinton remains more popular than John McCain and so we are likely to see him more in headlines on the web than we are McCain. There was the Hillary vs Barack drama – your average Joe likes drama. Essentially, the media outlets will give us what we tell them to, which also means there is great interest in Obama.

Nevertheless, it was a very interesting read and gave me something to think about.