Entertaining Journalism

With the quickly changing spectrum of media and the outlets for it, the role of a journalist has come into question. After reading an article that commented on this subject by Chuck Raasch of NewPolitics, I decided to offer my opinion.

Now that people can access news in seconds, rather than having to read the daily paper or tune into a nightly news cast, journalism has been forced to compete with the entertainment side of media, and basically become entertainment itself.

With news available faster than one can access it, from any perspective and angle that one could want, ‘news’ is no longer really newsworthy. Todays generation gets their news from the places that say the things they want to hear. The abundance of news sources has created a pick and choose scenario where there is no longer unbiased media.

A source must take on an identity and play to a specific side of the isle, or nobody listens. Things like “The Daily Show” with John Stewart or “Countdown” with Keith Olbermann, play to a specific audience and become more than just a news source. These shows must compete with the reality and drama programs that cover the TV guide at the same times, so in turn must include some drama or humor of their own just to compete. It is ‘entertaining’ to watch the news shows that offer the same opinions and views that you hold personally. People no longer have to hear both sides of the issues, then choose; rather they tune in to a show that offers an angle that is usually consistent with their own, and it is entertaining as well as informative.

News journalism has become entertainment. With the explosion of access to all kinds of media and news sources, an unbiased informative news source that is not funny or dramatic will quickly fail. News journalism has been forced to incorporate entertainment into its coverage just to get people to pay attention. By adding humor, or focusing on what is dramatic instead of what newsworthy, the news sources can compete with reality TV and the internet, but must sacrifice their unbiased credibility, and become entertaining.