Entertainment is not News
I was flipping through some RSS headlines and am disgusted with how celebrities and their antics make it to headline level news. There is a section for that under entertainment with music and movie releases and it belongs in the little square under those, not with key issues with the top headlines. When I check the news I’m looking for progress or changes on subject matters that pertain to subjects including my local area, economies, countries, and people and not mere water cooler headlines for people to gossip and talk about these music stars, actors, and actresses as if they talk with them regularly. Sadly it is to a point that some know what is happening more about them than within their own town.
I’m not going to name any specific examples because they, and there are many, don’t deserve any additional publicity or commentary on the internet than what currently exists. I’m sure you can think of several with ease, and I would contribute that to be from the amount of exposure in numerous forms from websites to magazines and even local news broadcasts. This isn’t a rant about how television is poisoning our minds and we should get our pitchforks and torches and march down to our local broadcast station. In my point of view television, magazines, and news broadcasts exist based on the feedback from its viewers and readers. It’s quite simple really and there are examples of it daily and is something most of us know about from school or work – supply and demand. I know of numerous people that agree and disagree with this and have thought about to understand the opposing view and I can see how they enjoy reading about it and that it is a source of entertainment. It is only entertainment, news is good and bad and we must take one with the other like it or not because it is reporting on facts that effect people and society as a whole. The entertainment aspect seems to have over saturated its column and time block into those around it.
Only until the majority or readers and viewers speak up, or Nielsen ratings go down, enough that the shift will begin. I was happy to read back in July that there is a local news station in Boston (need to find the reference and station) which agreed not to air such material and hope others agree to do the same. In the end I suppose if that is what people enjoy to read, so be it, I’m not here to dictate others just as they won’t to me, but let’s leave the news casts and columns free of entertainment and left to clever writing and research to make a story meaningful.
Entertainment is “entertainment”. Who’s dating what actor, what movie got the best review, and the guy who went crazy telling everyone to leave Britney Spears alone is no way near considered news. It’s more of the filler that news companies and such want to use because for whatever reason, they think that people actually care. It’s sad that people care more about what celebrity is wearing the latest trend than the stories that are going on in their own back yard.
Been meaning to respond to this one for a while…
It’s been my observation that most people will agree with you; they’ll say they don’t care one way or the other about the lives of celebrities. It’s also been my observation that these same people get sucked into watching those “entertainment news” shows and reading the magazines, whether they realize it or not.
I relate this to the attitude regarding paparazzi. Everyone hates them, but most people don’t realize that they are supporting the paparazzi by reading those magazines and watching those shows. Where do they think all those photos and footage comes from?
P.S. Nice blog. Keep it going.
Without the paparazzi, half of this “gossip” wouldn’t be “news”.