CNN.com's attempt to attract readers

When you first arrive at CNN's Web site, you are typically drawn to the lead story and photo followed by the other news arranged alongside it.

As I was skimming the homepage, I noticed at the top of the page right underneath the tabs for world, U.S., politics, etc., a featured called Hot Topics. As of 12:30 p.m., the listed topics Mumbai Terror, Pakistan, Transition to Power, Anne Pressly, Scream Bloody Murder and Shopping. All of the topics made sense to me as to why they would be considered "hot" except for one: Scream Bloody Murder.

When I first saw that, I wondered how the topics get chosen. Is it by web hits? Does an editor decide what topics are the most revelevant?

Regardless of the logic behind it, I of course clicked on the Scream Bloody Murder link. What I found was a really intense page about a CNN show about genocide. This is the brief at the top:

They tried to stop the killing. Nobody listened. Now, the truth will be told.
A French priest in Cambodia. An idealistic U.S. Senate staffer in Iraq. A Canadian general in Rwanda. Each one tried to focus the world's attention on genocide. Each time, they were shunned, ignored or told it was someone else's problem.

I'm not really sure what I was expecting when I went to click on the hot topic, but this wasn't it. However, the content did draw me in. Subheads on the linked page include witness to evil, stories of survival and life after death.

The one concern I have with this page being linked on CNN.com's homepage is the fact that at the top it reads: Viewer discrestion advised. And then belowe that are links on the genocide page that include: Sex slave: 'Every day we were raped' and Nuresta's story: 'We could see blood everywhere.'

With CNN being such a prominent network as well as their Web site, it concerns me that someone younger that should not be reading this content or watching the show has easy access to all this information. While all people need to be educated about genocide, there is a risk here that certain information that is not meant for certain eyes can be easily found.

Needless to say, I don't think the label Scream Bloody Murder should be a hot topic on the frontpage of the Web site.