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Tabloid television, also known asteletabloid,[1] is a form oftabloid journalism. Tabloid televisionnews broadcasting usually incorporate flashy graphics and sensationalized stories. Often, there is a heavy emphasis on crime andcelebrity news.[2]
The United States is not the onlymedia market with thisgenre of broadcasting. Among English-speaking countries, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom all have tabloidtelevision shows that reflect this same down-market, sensationalist style ofjournalism and entertainment, as do other countries such as France and Spain.[3] Media moguls such asRupert Murdoch can be seen as having transferred subject matter previously seen in print journalism to this television genre.[4]
In his bookTabloid Television, John Langer argues that this type of "other news" is as equally important as the "hard news".[5][6]
Popular shows of this type includeHard Copy andA Current Affair.[7][8]
A commonly cited example of tabloid television run amok is a series of reports in 2001 collectively dubbed theSummer of the Shark, focusing on a supposed epidemic of shark attacks after one highly publicized attack on an 8-year-old boy. In reality, there were fewer than average shark attacks that year.[9]
Other examples include the coverage of 'missing white woman syndrome' stories like those ofChandra Levy,Elizabeth Smart, andLaci Peterson. Critics claim that news executives are boosting ratings with these stories, which only affect a select few people, instead of broadcasting national issues.[10]