Infotainment (a portmanteau of information and entertainment) refers to a general type of media broadcast program which provides a combination of current events news and "feature news", or "features stories". Journalism is the profession of writing or communicating formally employed by publications and broadcasters for the benefit of a particular Community of people Professional journalism is a form of news reporting which developed in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century along with formal schools of journalism News is any new information or information on Current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or Word of mouth Reportage sometimes refers to the total body of media coverage of a particular topic or event including news reporting and analysis " the extensive reportage of recent News style (also journalistic style or news writing) is the particular Prose style used for News reporting (ie Journalism ethics and standards comprise principles of Ethics and of good practice as applicable to the specific challenges faced by professional Journalists Historically Objectivity is a significant principle of Journalistic professionalism. News values, sometimes called "news criteria" determine how much prominence a news story is given by a media outlet and the attention it is given by the audience In Journalism, a source is a person publication or other record or document that gives information Editorial independence is the freedom of editors to make decisions without interference from the owners of a publication A journalism school is a School or department usually part of an established University, where Journalists are trained List of Journalism topics This page aims to list all topics related to the field of Journalism. Arts journalism is a branch of Journalism concerned with the reporting and discussion of the arts Business journalism is the branch of journalism that tracks records analyses and interprets the economic changes that take place in a society Entertainment journalism is an umbrella term used to describe all forms of Journalism that focus on the Entertainment business and its products Environmental journalism is the collection verification production distribution and exhibition of information regarding current events trends issues and people that are associated Fashion journalism is an umbrella term used to describe all aspects of published Fashion media Political journalism is a broad branch of Journalism that includes coverage of all aspects of Politics and Political science, although the term usually Science journalism is a relatively new branch of Journalism, which uses the art of Reporting to convey information about Science topics to a public forum Sports journalism is a form of Journalism that reports on Sports topics and events While the sports department within some Newspapers has been Tech journalism is a relatively new branch of Journalism, which uses the art of Reporting to convey information about Tech topics to a public forum Trade journalism reports on the movements and developments of the Business world by way of articles or analysis A traffic report is an element of a Radio program or TV news broadcast that informs listeners about general traffic conditions Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere for a future time and a given location Advocacy journalism is a Genre of Journalism that intentionally and transparently adopts a non-objective viewpoint usually for some social Citizen journalism, also known as public or participatory journalism or democratic journalism, is the act of citizens "playing an active role in the The civic journalism movement (also known as public journalism is according to professor David K Community journalism is locally oriented coverage that typically focuses on city neighborhoods or individual suburbs rather than metropolitan state national or world news "Gonzo" redirects here For other uses see Gonzo (disambiguation Gonzo journalism is a style of Journalism which is written Investigative journalism is a type of reporting in which reporters deeply investigate a topic of interest often involving crime Political corruption, or some other Scandal Docufiction (often understood as Docudrama) is a Neologism which refers to a cinematographic work in a Genre mixing Fiction and Narrative journalism is the interpretation of a story and the way in which the journalist portrays it be it fictional or non-fictional New Journalism was a style of 1960s and 1970s News writing and Journalism which used literary techniques deemed unconventional at the time Opinion journalism is Journalism that makes no claim of objectivity. Visual journalism is the practice of strategically combining words and images to convey information Watchdog journalism refers to forms of Activist journalism aimed at holding accountable public personalities and institutions whose functions impact social and political life The term Fourth Estate refers to the press, both in its explicit capacity of advocacy and in its implicit ability to frame political issues Fifth Estate is any class or group in society other than the Clergy ( First Estate) the Nobility ( Second Estate) the Commoners ( Freedom Constitutional or statutory protections pertaining to freedom of the press Media bias in the United States News propaganda is Covert Propaganda packaged as credible News without transparency as to source and motivation Public relations (PR is the practice of managing the flow of Information between an Organization and its Publics Public relations - often referred Yellow journalism is Journalism that downplays legitimate news in favor of eye-catching headlines that sell more newspapers The news media refers to the section of the Mass media that focuses on presenting current News to the public A newspaper is a written Publication containing News, information and Advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called Newsprint. Magazines, periodicals or serials are Publications generally published on a regular schedule containing a variety of articles, generally News agency (alternative A news agency is an organization of Journalists established to supply News reports to organizations in the News trade Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are "broadcast" that is published by electrical methods instead of the older methods such as printed newspapers Online journalism is defined as the Reporting of facts produced and distributed via the Internet. Photojournalism is a particular form of Journalism (the collecting editing and presenting of news material for publication or broadcast that creates images in order to tell Alternative media are media (newspapers radio television movies Internet etc Video blogging, sometimes shortened to vlogging is a form of Blogging for which the medium is Video. A journalist (also called a newspaperman) is a person who practices Journalism, the gathering and dissemination of information about current events trends A reporter is a type of Journalist who Researches and presents information in certain types of Mass media. Editing Language, Images or Sound through correction condensation organization and other modifications in various media A columnist is a Journalist who writes material on a regular basis for publication in a series A photographer is a person who takes a Photograph using a Camera. Meteorology (from Greek grc μετέωρος metéōros, "high in the sky" and grc -λογία -logia) is the Interdisciplinary "Popular press" redirects here note that the University of Wisconsin Press publishes under the imprint "The Popular Press" A television program (US television programme (UK or television show (U News is any new information or information on Current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or Word of mouth
Infotainment also refers to the segments of programming in television news programs which overall consist of both "hard news" segments and interviews, along with celebrity interviews and human drama stories. Critics have claimed the combination of the two aspects is a conflict of interest by corporate news outlets—focusing on marketing, not journalism. A conflict of interest is a situation in which someone in a position of trust such as a Lawyer, Insurance adjuster, a Politician, executive or director Journalism is the profession of writing or communicating formally employed by publications and broadcasters for the benefit of a particular Community of people The term "infotainment" thus may be a pejorative among those who hold professional journalistic values in esteem. Words and phrases are pejorative if they imply disapproval or contempt Infotainment should not be confused with documentaries, educational television, or hard news programming. Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt in one fashion or another to " Document " reality Educational television is the use of Television programmes in the field of Education. Infotainment (a Portmanteau of information and entertainment refers to a general type of media broadcast program which provides a combination of current These go more in depth of the subjects they cover and can even provide classroom level instruction in areas such as mathematics, science, biology, or writing, etc.
Infotainment usually covers a long-term change or point of interest, or a general trend—an aspect of the zeitgeist. Zeitgeist ( pronounced) is a German language expression literally translated Zeit time; Geist spirit, meaning "the Many such stories as those cover topics such as health tips or gardening tips, exploring television show genres, travel, shopping, yachting or exploring new wines—topics that are not actually "news" at all, in the sense of things that are currently happening. Other stories deal with something that is happening, but is gradual, rather than tied to a single event—a new music genre coming into prominence, a shift in tide in the political views of the nation, a new turn in teen attitudes about sexuality, a commonality among political candidates, the returning appeal of the retro styles and memories of a past decade, crazes like Tamagotchi or Furby, or a common thread among current events that reveals something about the times. The is a handheld Digital pet created in 1996 by Aki Maita and sold by Bandai. A Furby (plural Furbys or Furbies, according to Tiger Co is an electronic toy more specifically a Robot, made by Tiger Electronics
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Criticism
Adding to the distinction between journalists and anchors and reporters are "human interest", personality, or celebrity news stories, which typically are directed by marketing departments based on a demographic appeal and audience share. A human interest story is a News story that discusses a person or persons in an interactive and/or emotional way It's commonly accepted that anchors are also media personalities, who may even be considered celebrities. The very nature of corporate network news requires its media personalities to use their public appeal to promote the networks investments, just as network broadcasts themselves (morning shows, TV news magazines) schedule self-promotional stories, in addition to advertising. Critics might go so far as to view anchors as a weak link in the news trade, representing the misplacement of both the credit and the accountability of a news journalism organization—hence adding to a perceived erosion of journalistic standards throughout the news business. (See yellow journalism. Yellow journalism is Journalism that downplays legitimate news in favor of eye-catching headlines that sell more newspapers )
Most infotainment, especially television programs on the networks or broadcast cable, only contain general factual information on the subjects they cover, and should not be considered as formal learning or instruction. A television network is a distribution network for Television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many Television stations For example you may learn that a motorcycle contains an engine, or how fast one can travel, on American Chopper, but you will not learn the inner-workings of the engine, the physics and chemistry involved when it is running, or how to customize a motorcycle on your own using schematics. American Chopper The Series is a Learning Channel Reality television series produced by Pilgrim Films & Television Inc
Hard news, soft news and infotainment
Hard news and soft news are terms for describing a relative difference between poles in a spectrum within the broader news trade—with "hard" journalism at the professional end and "soft" infotainment at the other. The news media refers to the section of the Mass media that focuses on presenting current News to the public Because the term "news" is quite broad, the terms "hard" and "soft" denote both a difference in respective standards for news value, as well as for standards of conduct, relative to the professional ideals of journalistic integrity. News is any new information or information on Current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or Word of mouth News values, sometimes called "news criteria" determine how much prominence a news story is given by a media outlet and the attention it is given by the audience Journalism ethics and standards comprise principles of Ethics and of good practice as applicable to the specific challenges faced by professional Journalists Historically
The idea of hard news embodies two orthogonal concepts:
- Seriousness: Politics, economics, crime, war, and disasters are considered serious topics, as are certain aspects of law, science, and technology.
- Timeliness: Stories that cover current events—the progress of a war, the results of a vote, the breaking out of a fire, a significant public statement, the freeing of a prisoner, an economic report of note.
The logical opposite, soft news is sometimes referred to in a derogatory fashion as infotainment. Defining features catching the most criticism include:
- The least serious subjects: Arts and entertainment, sports, lifestyles, "human interest", and celebrities.
- Not timely: There is no precipitating event triggering the story, other than a reporter's curiosity.
Timely events happen in less serious subjects—sporting matches, celebrity misadventures, movie releases, art exhibits, and so on. A celebrity is a widely-recognized or famous person who commands a high degree of public and media attention
There may also be serious reports which are not event-driven—coverage of important social, economic, legal, or technological trends; investigative reports which uncover ongoing corruption, waste, or immorality; or discussion of unsettled political issues without any special reason. Anniversaries, holidays, the end of a year or season, or the end of the first 100 days of an administration, can make some stories time-sensitive, but provide more of an opportunity for reflection and analysis than any actual "news" to report.
The spectrum of "seriousness" and "importance" is not well-defined, and different media organizations make different tradeoffs. "News you can use", a common marketing phrase highlighting a specific genre of journalism, spans the gray area. Gardening tips and hobby "news" pretty clearly fall at the entertainment end. Warnings about imminent natural disasters or acute domestic security threats (such as air raids or terrorist attacks) are considered so important that broadcast media (even non-news channels) usually interrupt other programming to announce them. A medical story about a new treatment for breast cancer, or a report about local ground water pollution might fall in between. So might book reviews, or coverage of religion. On the other hand, people frequently find hobbies and entertainment to be worthwhile parts of their lives and so "importance" on a personal level is rather subjective.
Concerns and criticisms
The label "infotainment" is emblematic of concern and criticism that journalism is devolving from a medium which conveys serious information about issues that affect the public interest, into a form of entertainment which happens to have fresh "facts" in the mix. The public interest refers to the "common well-being" or "general welfare The criteria by which reporters and editors judge news value - whether something is worth putting on the front page, the bottom of the hour, or is worth commenting on at all - is an integral part of this debate. News values, sometimes called "news criteria" determine how much prominence a news story is given by a media outlet and the attention it is given by the audience
Some blame the media for this perceived phenomenon, for failing to live up to ideals of civic journalistic responsibility. Others blame the commercial nature of many media organizations, the need for higher ratings, combined with a preference among the public for feel-good content and "unimportant" topics (like celebrity gossip or sports).
A specialization process has also occurred, beginning with the rise of mass market special-interest magazines, moving into broadcast with the advent of cable television, and continuing into new media, like the Internet and satellite radio. An increasing number of media outlets are available to the public that focus exclusively on one topic such as current events, home improvement, history, movies, women and Christianity. Current events are contemporary happenings of significance The phrase may also refer to the following Current Events, a journal published by Weekly Reader Publishing Home improvement or home renovation is the process of renovating or making additions to one's home History is the study of the past particularly the written record Those who study history as a Profession are called Historians Etymology Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings This means that consumers have more choice over whether they receive a general feed of the most "important" information of the day, or whether they get a highly customized presentation that contains only one type of content, which need not be newsworthy, and which need not come from a neutral point of view. Some publications and channels have found a sizable audience in the "niche" of featuring hard news. But controversy continues over whether the size of that audience is too small, and whether those outlets are diluting content with too much "soft" news.
What counts as journalism?
Some journalists define "journalism" to include only report on "serious" subjects, where common journalistic standards are upheld by the reporter. Journalism ethics and standards comprise principles of Ethics and of good practice as applicable to the specific challenges faced by professional Journalists Historically The larger "news business" or news trade encompasses everything from professional journalism to so-called "soft news" and "infotainment", and support activities such as marketing, advertising sales, finance and delivery. The news media refers to the section of the Mass media that focuses on presenting current News to the public Professional journalism is supposed to place more emphasis on research, fact-checking, and the public interest than its "non-journalistic" counterparts. Research is defined as Human activity based on Intellectual application in the investigation of Matter. The public interest refers to the "common well-being" or "general welfare
Entertainment and news crossovers
Infotainers are entertainers in infotainment media, such as news anchors or "news personalities" who cross the line between journalism (quasi-journalism) and entertainment within the broader news trade. The news media refers to the section of the Mass media that focuses on presenting current News to the public Notable examples in the U. S. media are Barbara Walters, Katie Couric, Bill O'Reilly, Maury Povich, Deborah Norville, and Geraldo Rivera among others. Barbara Jill Walters (born September 25 1929) is an American Journalist, writer and media Katherine Anne "Katie" Couric (born January 7, 1957) is an American Journalist who became well-known as co-host of NBC William James O'Reilly Jr (born September 10 1949 is an American television / radio host, Author, Syndicated columnist, and Maurice Richard "Maury" Povich (born January 17, 1939) is an American TV Talk show personality who currently hosts Deborah Norville (born August 8, 1958 in Dalton Georgia) is an American television broadcaster and journalist
Barbara Walters, though not the first to cross the line between news and personality stories, is for many the quintessential news-media icon. Barbara Jill Walters (born September 25 1929) is an American Journalist, writer and media Her career dates back to the 50s, and her current prominence at ABC is largely celebrity interviews, with a long running co-anchorship on 20/20 with Hugh Downs and, later, John Stossel until 2004 and her overlapping morning infotainment show The View. 20/20 is an American television Newsmagazine broadcast on ABC since June 6, 1978. Hugh Malcolm Downs (born February 14, 1921) is a retired American broadcaster Television host John F Stossel (born March 6 1947 is a Consumer Reporter, investigative journalist, author Libertarian columnist and co-anchor "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The View is an Emmy Award -winning American Talk show created by Barbara Walters and Bill Geddie and broadcast on
When Geraldo Rivera became the host of his own news-oriented talk show on CNBC, others within the NBC organization voiced their protest, including Tom Brokaw who was reported to have threatened to quit. CNBC (an abbreviation for the " C onsumer N ews and B usiness C hannel" its official name until 1991 is a cable and Thomas John "Tom" Brokaw (born February 6, 1940) is an American Television Journalist and Author, and Rivera had a notorious history as a "sleaze reporter" and daytime talk show host, where he and one or two others were representative of "trash TV"; television seen to have little social value or redeeming intelligence, but still popular with viewers. A number of political scandals in the 1980s and 1990s created the impression of what was described in the British press as "sleaze" a perception that the then Conservative A talk show ( American) or chat show ( Global) is a Television or Radio program where one person or group of people come together to Tabloid talk shows are a genre of American television talk-shows that achieved peak viewership during the late 20th century
A particular example is of the career of Andrea Thompson, formerly an actress on Babylon 5 and NYPD Blue, who quit acting to become a reporter for KRQE News in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and was later hired by CNN Headline News. Rebecca Andrea Thompson (born in Dayton, Ohio) is an American Actress, best known for her roles on the television series Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created produced and largely written by J NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct A reporter is a type of Journalist who Researches and presents information in certain types of Mass media. Headline News is a Spin-off network from the original Cable News Network ( CNN) television news network in the United States. She later quit CNN, citing a desire to spend more time with her son. Some speculated that others at CNN resented the presence of the former actress, and had some degree of influence on her decision to quit.
Infomercials
The infotainment concept is taken to its logical extreme by the increasingly ubiquitous "infomercial", which is blatant, thinly disguised advertising presented as though it were infotainment. Infomercials (or informercials are Television commercials that run for one minute or for as long as a typical Television program This is not the same thing as Home Shopping, which doesn't attempt to disguise its real purpose. This technique can be quite insidious, depending on the skill of the presenter, and his/her ability to seamlessly transfer focus from the lead topic to the advertising.
The terms "Infotainment" and "Infotainer" were first used in September 1980 at the Joint Conference of Aslib, the Institute of Information Scientists and the Library Association in Sheffield, UK. Sheffield ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in South Yorkshire, England The Infotainers were a group of British information scientists who put on comedy shows at their professional conferences between 1980 and 1990.
Infotainment Uk ltd
Infotainment Uk ltd is a uk based company specialising in Digital Signage. The company is still of yet in construction and a new era of flat screen technologies will arise very soon. It is created by Harpreet Bassan and Mandeep Singh who are partners in the business.
External links
- "Award winning Government infotainment"
- "Soft news and critical journalism eroding audiences"
- "Tough times for hard news, but good journalism goes on"
- Hollywood Representation of News Journalism, 1976–1999
- Mass Wire Media Association News
Dictionary
infotainment
-noun
- A form of programming (cinematic, television, live action, etc.) that provides both information and entertainment; also known as soft news, the information in infotainment programming consists of mostly celebrity news and human drama.
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