News channels are compelled to produce content in order to survive. However, their funding often distorts their reporting. Big foundations and government money often influence their reporting, which inevitably results in less accurate news. Journalist fervor only goes so far when the bills arrive. The solution is to separate the topic from the event. Do some research before you listen to the news, and don’t accept predigested conclusions.
It is difficult to draw viewer attention to serious issues on news channels. They do not draw enough viewers to capture their attention. This is a problem for profits, and infotainment channels have no alternative. The idea of seeking entertainment on a news channel is also damaging to the news brand. The competition among news channels has forced them to take drama and entertainment news instead of serious issues. Ultimately, this has led to news channels becoming infotainment channels.
The emergence of entertainment TV shows has made the distinction between serious and humorous news more blurred. Originally, the evening news on network television served as the main vehicle for serious public affairs coverage. This is no longer true, but network news programs often fall prey to the pressures of commercial television and fail to live up to their original mission. Rather, the news channels are increasingly focused on entertainment, such as the daily soaps, the bigboss, and celebrities’ personal lives. However, this trend is not new.
Despite these shortcomings, some news channels have a distinct advantage over other types of channels. They are much more likely to publish videos that contain conspiracy theories. In fact, about 37% of independent channels produced news videos mentioning conspiracy theories. Meanwhile, only 4% of videos on news organization channels were positive. Moreover, one-in-five videos were negative, with no positive tone. These videos also tended to be shorter than those produced by independent channels.
