Through Globalisation the world of media changes rapidly. The commercial driven model of popular television spread all over the world and is now present everywhere. Especially the privatisation of the media has led to growing competition and, linked with that, to a change in journalism. To attract people, especially news has to be entertaining. This mix of information and entertainment is called “Infotainment”. This paper wants to describe what Infotainment is, how it can be characterised, when it started and, of course, what problems can be connected with Infotainment.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Infotainment
2.1 Tabloidization
2.2 What is Infotainment?
2.2.1 Definition of “Infotainment”
2.2.2 The long tradition of Infotainment
2.2.3 The characteristics of Infotainment
2.2.4 Personalisation
2.2.5 Emotionalism
3. Examples of Infotainment
4. Problems of Infotainment
4.1 Ethic Problems
4.2 Sensationalism
4.3 Exposure of privacy and voyeurism
4.4 Problem of actuality
4.5 Construction of reality
4.6 Faking the news
5. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper aims to analyze the emergence and characteristics of "Infotainment" as a dominant style in modern broadcasting. It explores how the media landscape has shifted from traditional news reporting to a model driven by entertainment, sensationalism, and personalization, while examining the resulting ethical challenges and impacts on societal perception.
- The historical evolution and definition of Infotainment.
- The role of tabloidization in shaping media content.
- Practical examples of Infotainment in international television.
- Ethical implications, including voyeurism and the construction of reality.
- The tension between informational quality and audience ratings.
Excerpts from the Book
4.2 Sensationalism
In general, one can say that for the media, sensations and sensational news attract a wider audience and because of that, they bring more money. If the economical aspect of a broadcasting show is more important than journalistic work, one can see a loss of quality there. That means, if a TV show concentrates more on entertaining their audience, than giving them quality researched information, there is danger of loosing quality. Sensation has more appeal to the viewers than concrete information. It is easy to put entertainment and information together in the TV. This contains the danger of the viewers changing their view on reality ( vgl. Wiegerling 1998: 159 ff. ).
Sensationalism has a long history: dated back to the 16 th century, the former papers already knew how to attract the attention of their readers. This papers wrote about exceptionally strange things like atmospheric phenomenons, bad ghosts and witches, crime or seriously deformed babys. The combination of blood, harm and sex already attracted the main crowd ( vgl. Wagner 2003: 242 ). It seems that it is the broadcasting of evil things, catastrophes or other bad events, which attracts the audience. It is hard to imagine a newspaper for example without any sensations. Because without that, it might be boring. It is mostly the tabloid papers, that are full of sensational news ( vgl. Wagner 2003: 245 ). Because of the actual broadcasting, the television is in danger of using too much sensations.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the shift in journalism toward commercialized entertainment, outlining the research questions and the structure of the analysis.
2. Infotainment: This section defines core terms like Tabloidization, Personalization, and Emotionalism, explaining their historical development and their role as pillars of modern infotainment.
3. Examples of Infotainment: This chapter provides practical illustrations of infotainment techniques across various international television programs and media formats.
4. Problems of Infotainment: This part critically examines the ethical risks, including sensationalism, the invasion of privacy, and the blurring lines between reality and entertainment.
5. Conclusion: The concluding chapter summarizes how economic pressures have incentivized infotainment and reflects on its dual impact on media quality and democratic discourse.
Keywords
Infotainment, Tabloidization, Sensationalism, Personalisation, Emotionalism, Journalism, Broadcasting, Media Ethics, Voyeurism, Reality Construction, Commercialization, Public Service, News, Entertainment, Media Content.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary subject of this paper?
The paper examines the phenomenon of "Infotainment," defined as the blending of information and entertainment in contemporary broadcast news.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
Key themes include the global spread of tabloidization, the shift from hard to soft news, and the techniques used to capture audience attention through emotions and drama.
What is the main objective of the study?
The objective is to explain what Infotainment is, how it originated, and to identify the ethical problems associated with this style of broadcasting.
What scientific methods were used in the analysis?
The study relies on a qualitative literature review of communication studies and media theory, supported by practical case studies of television programs.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers the definition of key terms, historical contexts, examples of infotainment in TV, and specific ethical problems like privacy exposure and news faking.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Central keywords include Infotainment, Tabloidization, Sensationalism, Media Ethics, and Personalization.
How does the author define "Tabloidization"?
The author describes it as the movement of media into the entertainment industry, focusing on human-interest stories rather than providing a forum for informed public debate.
Does the author suggest that Infotainment is purely negative?
While the author highlights significant risks like a democratic deficit and loss of quality, they acknowledge that soft news can make political content more accessible to younger audiences.
- Quote paper
- Bakk. Komm. Maria Vögele (Author), 2011, Infotainment. Characteristics, History and Problems, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/210681
