The Case of Matthew McAllister - Essay Example

Matthew McAllister McAllister states: “Besides the general pressures on news to entertain and promote that were discussed in the previous section, CBS had additional contextual factors which may have encouraged the television network to plug hard the reality-based show.” (p. 215-216). McAllister maintains that news is no longer news nowadays. He avers that there are many factors that have brought about the change in the news sector. The traditional role of news was basically to inform. This has since changed since entertainment and promotion of products and services have been thrown into the mix.

McAllister uses CBS as a case in point. What factors have contributed to the change in the role of news? The greatest factor is, perhaps, the purchasing of television networks by movie studios (McAllister, p. 213). The movie studios, therefore, use their corporate ties with the television news networks so purchased to exert promotional pressures. Consequently, news loses its prime position as the news networks under entertainment corporations have to air ads during prime-time news. In addition, television news networks lose control of the content they air as their sponsors dictate what suits their financial interests.

Another major factor is to drive profits. In order to attract advertisers, news networks need not just an expanded viewership, but the viewership that interests advertisers. Since news mostly interests the elderly, news networks have adjusted their broadcasting so as to rake in the youth as well. This is the rationale behind the reality show craze, as is the case with CBS which has been airing Survivor. It is not uncommon to find such stations holding a discussion on the outcome of the previous episode of the reality show during news time.

Generally, news networks have transformed into entertainment and promotional zones.