CBC.ca most popular items last year - a telling look at Canadians

CBC.ca, Canada’s predominant online news source, has published the most clicked-on and most emailed stories of 2007.

While our news surfing isn't a national disgrace, our emailing habits may be.

Most clicked-on
The top 25 most clicked-on stories are mostly legitimate news stories and not a single item about Paris Hilton or her ilk. I’m proud to say of my fellow Canadians that of the 25 top items, only two were not legitimate news stories. One of them, which was the second most popular article, was Vancouver patient oozes green blood which I must confess I remember clicking-on when it originally came out in June. But how can you not click-on something of such World Weekly News caliber appearing in staid CBC?

There was only one story had an entertainment focus, the Chris Benoit murder/suicide, but this is hardly coverage of Britney Spears latest driving incident (though Canadian Keifer Sutherland’s drunk driving conviction and continued commercials for Ford didn’t crack the top 25 either.)

While the top story, hitting positions 1, 7, and 16 was the Virginia Tech slayings (#16 being coverage of a Canadian victim), the story most fixated on is the rising loonie. Guess Canadians were either excited to gloat at the Americans or looking forward to cross border shopping (BTW, there has never been a better time to shop at American websites – we’ve got some great deals!).

Also, of the 25 articles all except for two (which were about Virginia Tech) had a prominent Canadian angle. I’m not sure if CBC.ca visitors are largely looking for Canadian news or if items with a more local bent capture more interest.

Most emailed
I will make no attempt at any lofty explanations of the top ten most emailed stories on CBC.ca.

Only one was a legitimate news item. Clearly, people only email friends of the most offbeat, bizarre nature.

Back to my World Weekly News theory – everyone loves these freakish stories, and all the more so when CBC reports them.

These items were so much fun I had to list them here:
1. Thomas & Friends toys recalled for lead poisoning danger
2. Moles linked with slower aging: study
3. Left-handedness gene linked to mental illness, suggests study
4. Vancouver patient oozes green blood
5. Don't poo-poo technique: Fecal transplant can cure superbug, doctors say
6. Winnipeg pizza place serves up side of porn
7. Scientists make gut-brain connection to autism
8. Catholic Church only true church, Vatican says
9. What the ...? Workplace profanity boosts morale: study
10. Diet soft drinks linked to health risks: study

I must say #5, #6 and #9 really caught my attention and made me click through, so I can't take any moral highground either. I'd like to say I read all of CBC.ca excellent political and foreign coverage. I'd like to say that. Their technology coverage is very good and I read it regularly, so it's not all green blood and pizza porn.