Tabloid television

Tabloid television, also known as Teletabloid, is a form of tabloid journalism. Tabloid television newscasts usually incorporate flashy graphics and sensationalized stories.Often, there is a heavy emphasis on crime, stories with good video, and celebrity news. It is a form of infotainment.

The United States is not the only television market with this television genre of broadcasting - Australia, New Zealand, England and France all have tabloid television programing that reflects this same down-market, sensationalist style of journalism and entertainment.

Examples of tabloid television

The basic tabloid television format developed on nationally syndicated programs such as Hard Copy, Inside Edition, Fox Files, A Current Affair (US), Today Tonight and A Current Affair which all incorporate flashy graphics with sensational stories. Tabloid talk shows were extremely popular during the end of the 20th century.

A commonly cited example of tabloid television run amok is a series of reports in 2001 collectively dubbed the Summer of the Shark, focusing on a supposed epidemic of shark attacks after one highly publicized attack on an 8-year-old boy. In reality, there were a below-average number of shark attacks that year.

Other examples include the coverage of 'missing white woman syndrome' stories like those of Chandra Levy, Elizabeth Smart, Laci Peterson. Critics claim that news executives are only boosting rating with these stories, which only impact a select few, instead of broadcasting national issues.

Parodies of news and entertainment

• Chris Morris' The Day Today and Brass Eye
• Drop the Dead Donkey (Channel 4, UK)
• Frontline (ABC, Australia)

Further reading

• Potter, Deborah (October/November 2003). A Story for All Seasons. American Journalism Review. Found at NewsLab.org (July 16, 2005).
• Kearns, Burt (October 1999) Tabloid Baby

External links

• Tabloid Television at the Museum of Broadcast Communications