Tabloid television
Tabloid television, also known as teletabloid,[1] is a form of tabloid journalism. Tabloid television news broadcasting usually incorporate flashy graphics and sensationalized stories. Often, there is a heavy emphasis on crime and celebrity news.[2]
Global perspective
[edit]The United States is not the only media market with this genre of broadcasting. Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and France all have tabloid television shows that reflect this same down-market, sensationalist style of journalism and entertainment. People such as Rupert Murdoch also came out of this genre.[3]
In his book Tabloid Television, John Langer argues that this type of "other news" is as equally important as the "hard news".[4][5]
Examples of tabloid television
[edit]Popular shows of this type include Hard Copy and A Current Affair.[6][7]
A commonly cited example of tabloid television run amok is a series of reports in 2001 collectively dubbed the Summer of the Shark, focusing on a supposed epidemic of shark attacks after one highly publicized attack on an 8-year-old boy. In reality, there were fewer than average shark attacks that year.[8]
Other examples include the coverage of 'missing white woman syndrome' stories like those of Chandra Levy, Elizabeth Smart, and Laci Peterson. Critics claim that news executives are boosting ratings with these stories, which only affect a select few people, instead of broadcasting national issues.[9]
See also
[edit]- Shock value
- Trial by Media - 2020 series about notable media-covered true crime stories
- Low culture
References
[edit]- ^ Giuseppe Novella (6 February 2016). L'opinione pubblica ai tempi del 2.0. Gilgamesh Edizioni. pp. 95–. ISBN 978-88-6867-138-9.
- ^ Tabloid nation|Salon.com
- ^ The Tabloid Decade|Vanity Fair
- ^ Tabloid Television|Taylor & Francis Group
- ^ Tabloid Television - Google Books
- ^ A guide to tabloid TV|EW.com
- ^ Steve Dunleavy and the Rise of Tabloid TV|Observer
- ^ Broad, William J. (2001-09-05). "Scientists Say Frenzy Over Shark Attacks Is Unwarranted". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-03-22.
- ^ Deborah Potter (October–November 2003). "A STORY FOR ALL SEASONS: Summertime crime stories are no longer confined to hot-weather months". News Lab Organization. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
Further reading
[edit]- Potter, Deborah (October/November 2003). A Story for All Seasons - American Journalism Review. Found at NewsLab.org (July 16, 2005).
- John Langer (1998). Tabloid television: popular journalism and the "other news". Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-06636-5.
- Joshua Gamson (1999). Freaks Talk Back: Tabloid Talk Shows and Sexual Nonconformity. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-28065-3.
- Kearns, Burt (October 1999) Tabloid Baby