Yesterday morning, I caught an interview with Carlina's biological mother, Joy White (pictured above), on NBC's 'Today' show. Prior to this, I was deliberately hazy on the details of this real-life soap opera. All I knew was a baby had been kidnapped at a Harlem hospital and, fast-forward 23 years, she has been reunited with her biological parents.

It seemed to be a bittersweet ending to a story that really wasn't any of my business, and I was trying to keep it that way. But with CNN on commercial break, I begrudgingly suffered through the interview as I waited for the latest on Egypt.

In doing so, I learned more of the specifics, and my heart went out to the various parties that have been on this emotional seesaw. Despite the tug on my heartstrings, I found myself growing more and more annoyed as I watched: This display was yet another confirmation that television news, particularly network morning shows, has turned human pain and despair into big ratings. Consider it tragic entertainment, if you will.

Thank God for NPR and the geriatric news giants on '60 Minutes.' Without institutions and shows such as these, we would all be stranded in a desert of exploitative news, featuring the gut-wrenching misfortune of people who are often poor and desperate.

It feels like an endless procession of victims and survivors are trotted before us to captivate our attention but, more importantly, to help sell the products advertisers are hawking. Money talks, responsible journalism walks (off the deep end) far too often.

Look no further than what the media did to Ted Williams, the Ohio homeless man with the golden voice. It was the classic bait and switch: They built him up and tore him down in a matter of days.

I mean, who hasn't shook their head at the way Williams' story unfolded with the self-serving assistance from members of the media? And someone please tell me when Dr. Phil will have the tables turned on him so he can have his own psychological inadequacies paraded in front of an audience of millions. I find it hard to believe that he's not disturbed (there's something about his voice and that funky elocution he has).

Back to the 'Today' show. What sent me over the edge was a question posed by Meredith Vieira:

Meredith: "A lot of questions about money that she's told you she won't do interviews unless she's paid. Are you angry with her about this?"

Joy White: "Yeah. I'm disappointed. This was a miracle that happened. It's breathtaking, it's mind-blowing. I just wanted to get that out there, that we found our daughter, and we have reunited."

Wait a minute.

Did the Supreme Court really vandalize the 2000 presidential election and hand over stolen property to George W. Bush and, second, did Meredith seriously just ask that question?

To me, the idea of the daughter, Carlina White, not wanting to appear on any more news shows without compensation sounds like the smartest idea ever, right up there with the advent of the remote control that allows me to turn this media spectacle off without exerting too much energy.

So let me get this straight: The network brass -- on down to Meredith -- are getting paid millions because of stories like this. And the mother, as well as the biological father, have spent the trust fund money set up for their daughter after the 1992 lawsuit against the hospital.

It appears everyone has been compensated for this ordeal one way or the other except Carlina. Yet based on the discussion between Meredith and mom, we're all supposed to be appalled at Carlina's quite reasonable request? Please. I would rather throw myself out of a window than take sides against Carlina, whatever her motives may be.

The bigger problem here is the expectations of the networks and the viewers, who believe victims and survivors have some misguided obligation to sit before the cameras and retell the agonizing details of their story over and over.

Just because these morning shows and similar programs mix in some blabber about the jet stream coming in the from the west or give us a few nuggets on President Barack Obama's current crisis doesn't mean they are any better than Jerry Springer and Maury Povich.

Those two would have had Carlina's biological mother and kidnapper Ann Pettway fighting each other with hot sauce bottles only to be conveniently broken up 30 seconds into the fisticuffs. Okay, so Jerry and Maury are definitely worse -- but not by much.