Are news channels becoming entertainment channels?

Answer 1

It certainly seems that way. Many people are too busy to stay truly informed on current events, so they watch evening news channels that deliver information in an entertaining way. The trouble is that all news programs will have a certain level of bias, and tend to favor ratings over being factual.

Answer 2

Sadly, some are. There are many reasons for this, but the main reason is that the Entertainment Division of most networks, rather than the News Division, is very influential. Years ago, it was the News Division that had the most influence: it did not make the networks a lot of money, but it was considered valuable because it earned a lot of prestige and the public appreciated reliable information, delivered by trusted anchormen (they were all men back then). But in a more corporate and consolidated world, ratings are more important than ever-- commercial advertising rates are pegged to how many viewers your show has. So, while the networks still do want news broadcasts, they want those broadcasts to be entertaining, bringing in more viewers. There is still plenty of excellent reporting and many stories are quite serious. But more and more, it seems newscasts are devoting valuable airtime to celebrity gossip, political scandals, and stories that are more hype than fact. Still, it's unfair to generalize, and you can certainly find local and national reporters who go out of their way to keep the public informed: they are just given less time to do so.

Answer 3

no