Entertainment news covers movies, music, television, video games and other forms of popular culture. It also features interviews with celebrities and behind-the-scenes stories that shape how audiences perceive them. In addition, this type of journalism can influence societal trends and has the power to boost ticket sales or album downloads.
While entertainment news may focus on gossip and celebrity scandals, it can also address serious issues such as gender identity in the media, diversity and equal pay. It can also promote the industry and act as a source of employment.
Many entertainment journalists specialize in specific genres or areas, such as film criticism, music reviews or television recaps, which allows them to build expertise and a following. Additionally, social platforms allow aspiring journalists to start their own media outlets with little or no budget, further expanding the reach of entertainment news.
Ethical considerations for entertainment journalists include balancing public interest in a celebrity’s private life with the potential for sensationalism or harm to those involved. This is especially true for voyeuristic and pornographic entertainment journalism.
Infotainment refers to television programming that blurs the line between information and entertainment. It includes talk shows, such as the Oprah Winfrey Show (later OWN) and Access Hollywood, as well as political discussion programs that belie their hosts’ pronounced biases, such as Hannity and Colmes (1996-2009; featuring Sean Hannity), Fox News Channel’s The O’Reilly Factor and MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Show. It also includes satirical news programs, such as Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show, which skewers media and politics.