Does It Matter Whether 'News Entertain Or Inform — Or Both?'

Joe Gandelman, editor-in-chief of The Moderate Voice asks in a February 25, 2007, post: "Should News Entertain Or Inform — Or Both?"

In an attempt to answer the question, Joe addresses issues such as:

(1) The tabloidization of the American news media

(2) The rise of talk radio

(3) The 24 Hour News Cycle and Fox News’ impact

(4) The decline of truly high profile journalistic role models

(5) The dominance of personality over issues in politics and news; and

(6) The fact that "news editors and corporations can’t just ignore the competition and do 100 percent their own thing."

Joe also provides links to others discussing this issue. Among them Austin Cline. He has a  February 25, 2007, post at Jesus General headlined "Journalism as Entertainment: Should News Inform or Just Entertain? " 

 "Outside the Beltway" proprietor James Joyner's has February 25, 2007, comment on Cline's post headlined "News Business is a Business

Gandelman's post was also inspired by Cline's commentary. Regardless, it's a good discussion.