If this is the future of online journalism, count me out

As newspapers everywhere struggle to adapt to the digital age, we're all trying new ways to tell stories online and get readers to our Web sites. In terms of those efforts, I've seen a lot that works. I've also seen a lot that doesn't.

In the latter category, I'd say this one, from the Cleveland Plain Dealer in Ohio, takes the cake. Talk about no-value crap. To me, this just seems like a desperate, uninspiring plea for Web clicks.

For newspapers, I think the key to harnessing the power of the Internet is making sure we're only putting time and resources into creating content that adds value to the work we've traditionally done as journalists. This certainly misses that mark.

I'm not certain, but I think the poor people in this video are Plain Dealer reporters. I checked with the Sun-Star's Web editor, Brandon Bowers, and he assures me he'll never subject our staff or readers to something like this.

I'm interested to know how much time and money the Plain Dealer put into producing 'Idol Chatter.' I'll also be interested to see how long the paper keeps it up.