Tabloid Television

Angela Smith

As the term suggests, tabloid originates in print journalism where it refers to a diminutive newspaper format. In keeping with their ease of handling, tabloid-sized newspapers are generally regarded as having little engagement with “serious” news, instead exhibiting a predominant concern with trivia and sensation. Just as tabloid newspapers are regarded as dealing with “less serious” news in an attempt to increase their market share, such changes in television have come to be referred to by the term tabloidization. Other related terms are newszak, dumbing-down, infotainment, and, less disapprovingly, personalization and democratization. As is clear from these terms, there are different values attached to this process, which can be seen as detrimental to journalism, or, more positively, as a key driver of the masses to news media. Across Western media, many believe there is an underlying obligation for media, largely seen as part of the public sphere, to foster citizenship ...

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