Entertainment news focuses on celebrities, their lives, and their choices. It influences popular culture, encourages discussion, and provides jobs for many people in the industry.
The blurring of the line between news and infotainment (TV programming that presents information in a format intended to be entertaining) has helped to create an audience demand for entertainment-oriented news programs. As a result, traditional media outlets that once viewed the production of soft news as an add-on to their primary mission began to seek additional revenue sources in order to continue operations and stay competitive with other channels.
In some cases, this led to the creation of dedicated celebrity and entertainment news programs. In other cases, this was simply the result of economic challenges that forced all news divisions to rethink their strategies and find new ways to market their content.
A good example of this is the success of the Comedy Central program The Daily Show, hosted by Jon Stewart. This so-called “fake news” program satirized the media, politics, and pop culture and was so popular during the 2000 U.S. presidential election that it actually surpassed the viewership of some mainstream news programs.
Another example of the blurring between news and entertainment is the emergence of “reality” shows such as The Amazing Race, Top Chef, and The Big Bang Theory, which are popular in part because they combine both elements. This trend also reflects the growing popularity of social media, which enables fans to engage in real-time conversations about the stars they follow.