Tabloid Television

“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, the pursuit of similar priorities in television has come to be referred to as tabloidization. Other related words include newszak, dumbing-down, infotainment, and, less disapprovingly, personalization and democratization. The variety of these terms attests to the different values that can be attached to this process: as detrimental to journalism or, more positively, as a key driver of the masses to news media. This entry ...