Dear media outlets (especially CNN),

For future reference, I’d like to reach a consensus about how you define the term “breaking news.”

I have signed up for your email service where you will send me alerts on the aforementioned “breaking news.” I have appreciated this service in the past when you have kept me informed of key news stories about important issues as they were developing.

I have noticed a disturbing trend, unfortunately. You have a tendency to send me alerts about what I would consider celebrity gossip.

For some people, I’m sure this is, in fact, breaking news. I’d bet that Cooperstown email accounts contained a flurry of information today about how to answer questions about who has hit the most home runs in a season. And it wouldn’t surprise me if the recording industry is in a tizzy with Simon Cowell’s announcement of his planned departure from American Idol. But for me and 99% of other people receiving your breaking news alerts? I’d bet our day remains unchanged having now heard the bulletins.

So, please, let’s agree on terms. If there’s some other list you’d like me to sign up for, some actually-important-no-really news list, please let me know and I’d be happy to unsubscribe from what I thought was supposed to be that service and hop on board with what I look for in news alerts.

And, otherwise, let’s work on figuring out what’s really important to America and send out information about that, shall we?

Thanks.