Jessica
JRN 201 – Section #14582
April 15, 2016
Honors Blog Post XIII
Jessica
JRN 201 – Section #14582
April 15, 2016
Honors Blog Post XIII
"Info-tainment"
In this day and age, "info-tainment" occupies a big space in news. While this type of journalism has its place, it shouldn't be the main focus of any hard-news publication.
Unfortunately, I do believe that today's media definitely spends too much time on info-tainment. I think this is due to the big platforms that celebrities and politicians have on social media; everything is online nowadays. It's much easier to provide readers with the latest update or status about a public figure's personal life, versus taking the time to research more detail orientated stories. Especially when there's a demand for it.
I think that it is necessary, because it's such a big part of what our culture today puts a focus on. We are a consumer-based nation and as such, we like to be informed of new products and apps.
However, there should be more of a balance between news stories and entertainment content. It's not totally the job of the newspaper to cater completely to the public. A journalists's job is to inform the public, or as Thomas E. Patterson writes in his book, "Informing the News" to help maintain a Democracy.
The new upcoming leaders and the public for that matter cannot make informed decisions about how to run a nation if they know nothing about it. Additionally, it's important for readers to know what is going on, regardless if they are politically active. It shifts them to a healthier focus than obsessing over the latest gossip.
In this day and age, "info-tainment" occupies a big space in news. While this type of journalism has its place, it shouldn't be the main focus of any hard-news publication.
Unfortunately, I do believe that today's media definitely spends too much time on info-tainment. I think this is due to the big platforms that celebrities and politicians have on social media; everything is online nowadays. It's much easier to provide readers with the latest update or status about a public figure's personal life, versus taking the time to research more detail orientated stories. Especially when there's a demand for it.
I think that it is necessary, because it's such a big part of what our culture today puts a focus on. We are a consumer-based nation and as such, we like to be informed of new products and apps.
However, there should be more of a balance between news stories and entertainment content. It's not totally the job of the newspaper to cater completely to the public. A journalists's job is to inform the public, or as Thomas E. Patterson writes in his book, "Informing the News" to help maintain a Democracy.
The new upcoming leaders and the public for that matter cannot make informed decisions about how to run a nation if they know nothing about it. Additionally, it's important for readers to know what is going on, regardless if they are politically active. It shifts them to a healthier focus than obsessing over the latest gossip.
