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". Look up portmanteau word in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see News (disambiguation). ...

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. The term "infotainment" thus may be a pejorative among those who hold professional journalistic values in esteem. Infotainment should not be confused with Documentaries, educational television, or Hard News programming. 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. A conflict of interest is a situation in which someone in a position of trust, such as a lawyer, a politician, or an executive or director of a corporation, has competing professional or personal interests. ... Journalism is a discipline of writing. ... A word or phrase is pejorative if it implies contempt or disapproval. ... Documentary film is a broad category of cinematic expression united by the intent to remain factual or non-fictional. ... Educational Television (Traditional Chinese: 教育電視), shortly known as ETV, is a series of educational television programmes jointly produced by Radio Television Hong Kong and Education and Manpower Bureau (formerly Education Department) of Hong Kong. ... Hard news brings us news, reviews and contest reports from the events that make history. ...

Infotainment -term change or point of interest, or a general trend—an aspect of the zeitgeist. 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. Look up Zeitgeist in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A group of different Furbys A Furby is an electronic toy made by Tiger Electronics which went through a brief period of being a must-have toy following its launch in the holiday season of 1998. ...

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. 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.) Human interest news articles are about particular individuals or groups of people. ... Nasty little printers devils spew forth from the Hoe press in this Puck cartoon of Nov. ...

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. 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. A television network is a distribution network for television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many television stations. ... 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. 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. The terms news trade or news business refers to news-related organizations in the mass media (or information media) as a business entity —associated with but distinct from the profession of journalism. ... For other uses, see News (disambiguation). ... News values determine how much prominence a news story is given by a media outlet. ... Journalistic standards or journalism ethics, include principles of ethics and of good practice to address the specific challenges faced by professional journalists. ...

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. “Megastar” redirects here. ...

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 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. Public interest is a term used to denote political movements and organizations that are in the public interest—supporting general public and civic causes, in opposition of private and corporate ones (particularistic goals). ... News values determine how much prominence a news story is given by a media outlet. ...

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. 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. Highlights The so-called iTunes Law, which Apple has called state-sponsored piracy, is approved by the French Parliament (coat of arms pictured). ... Home Improvement was an American television sitcom starring actor/comedian Tim Allen, loosely based on his stand-up comedy routine. ... History studies the past in human terms. ... For other uses see film (disambiguation) Film refers to the celluliod media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as... Image of a woman on the Pioneer plaque sent to outer space. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ...

What counts as journalism?

Some journalists define "journalism" to include only report on "serious" subjects, where common journalistic standards are upheld by the reporter. 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. Professional journalism is supposed to place more emphasis on research, fact-checking, and the public interest than its "non-journalistic" counterparts. Journalistic standards or journalism ethics, include principles of ethics and of good practice to address the specific challenges faced by professional journalists. ... The terms news trade or news business refers to news-related organizations in the mass media (or information media) as a business entity —associated with but distinct from the profession of journalism. ... The word research derives from the French recherche, from rechercher, to search closely where chercher means to search (see French language); its literal meaning is to investigate thoroughly. Research is a human activity based on intellectual investigation and aimed at discovering, interpreting, and revising human knowledge on different aspects of... Public interest is a term used to denote political movements and organizations that are in the public interest—supporting general public and civic causes, in opposition of private and corporate ones (particularistic goals). ...

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. Notable examples in the U.S. media are Barbara Walters, Katie Couric, Bill O'Reilly, Maury Povich, Deborah Norville, and Geraldo Rivera among others. ITV newscaster Mark Austin. ... The terms news trade or news business refers to news-related organizations in the mass media (or information media) as a business entity —associated with but distinct from the profession of journalism. ... Barbara Jill Walters[1] (born September 25, 1929- [2]) is an American journalist and media personality who has been a regular fixture on morning television shows (Today and The View), evening news magazine (20/20), and on The ABC Evening News, as the first female evening news anchor. ... Katherine Lib Couric (born January 7, 1957) is an American media personality who became well-known as co-host of NBCs Today, and now serves as the anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News. ... This article is becoming very long. ... Maurice Richard Maury Povich (born January 17, 1939 in Washington, D.C.) is an American TV talk show personality who currently hosts his self-titled talk show Maury which has earned him national recognition due to the paternity tests that are often aired. ... Deborah Norville (born August 8, 1958 in Dalton, Georgia) is an American television broadcaster and journalist. ... Gerald Michael Rivera (born July 4, 1943), known to TV audiences as Geraldo Rivera, or simply Geraldo, is an American television journalist and former talk show host. ...

Barbara Walters, though not the first to cross the line between news and personality stories, is for many the quintessential news-media icon. Her career dates back to the 50's, 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. Barbara Jill Walters[1] (born September 25, 1929- [2]) is an American journalist and media personality who has been a regular fixture on morning television shows (Today and The View), evening news magazine (20/20), and on The ABC Evening News, as the first female evening news anchor. ... This article is about the television show. ... Hugh Malcolm Downs, (born February 14, 1921) is a retired American broadcaster, television host, producer, and author. ... John F. Stossel (born March 6, 1947) is a consumer reporter, author and co-anchor for the ABC News show 20/20. ... For the Scottish band see The View (band) The View is a many time Emmy Award nominated American daytime television talk show on ABC created by Barbara Walters, Bill Geddie, and Jessica Guff. ...

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. 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. Gerald Michael Rivera (born July 4, 1943), known to TV audiences as Geraldo Rivera, or simply Geraldo, is an American television journalist and former talk show host. ... CNBC (an abbrevation for the Consumer News and Business Channel, its official name until 1991) is a group of cable and satellite television Business news channels from the U.S., owned and operated by NBC Universal. ... Thomas John Brokaw (born February 6, 1940 in Webster, South Dakota) is a popular American television journalist, presently working on regularly scheduled news documentaries for the NBC television network, and is the former NBC News anchorman and managing editor of the program NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw. ... This article is about political corruption. ... A talk show (U.S.) or chat show (Brit. ... A WNYW-TV full screen segment intro from 2005. ...

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. 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. Andrea Thompson as Talia Winters in Babylon 5 Main title caption from Falcon Crest. ... Babylon 5 is an epic American science fiction television series created, produced, and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. ... NYPD Blue was a long-running American television police drama set in New York City. ... A Female Reporter A reporter is a type of journalist who researches and presents information in certain types of mass media. ... Nickname: The Duke City Location in the state of New Mexico Coordinates: Country United States State New Mexico County Bernalillo Founded 1706 Government  - Mayor Martin Chavez Area  - City  181. ... CNN Headline News is a spin-off network from the original Cable News Network (CNN) television news network in the United States and Canada. ...

Others have made the jump between entertainment shows and news reporting.

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. 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. Infomercials are television commercials that run as long as a typical television program (roughly thirty minutes or an hour). ...

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. The Infotainers were a group of British information scientists who put on comedy shows at their professional conferences between 1980 and 1990.

External links

• "Soft news and critical journalism eroding audiences"
• "Tough times for hard news, but good journalism goes on"
• "Gadget news"
• Hollywood Representation of News Journalism, 1976-1999