Infotainment

As a student of journalism, you would think that I would have more tolerance for television news than the average college student. Oddly enough, it isn't my lack of interest in current events that makes me flip the channel with a yawn of boredom; it's the endless coverage of celebrities.

I'm still confused as to why I know who Kevin Federline is. I don't care and I'm tired of people telling me things I don't care about and shouldn't care about. Unfortunately infotainment is a viable and successful model of journalism and it seems that I will have to accept it as a force to be reckoned with.

Obviously journalists have an obligation to stuff information down the throats of the uncaring public; the difference is that it should be meaningful information. And yes, a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, but I think lately the chef has had a sweet tooth, so-to-speak. The blend of information and entertainment has become a little uneven.

Just look at the Anna Nicole Smith coverage. When alive she was a bright and her death is little more, it's a filler story to trick unsuspecting viewers into watching the real news in order to get the reward they think they want. It should never be the point of the newscast. But magically it is.

Somewhere down the line the formula has gone awry. I like to think that as fledging journalists we can infuse some integrity back into the system, but realistically I know that isn't true. Producers call the shots and as long as this form of infotainment is profitable it will continue to dominate the news.