infotainment

Infotainment is a popular moniker given to television programming where the lines between reality and entertainment have become increasingly blurred.

On the one hand, on so-called "reality" programs like Survivor and American Idol,  ordinary people compete in extraordinary situations for big prizes. This might be labeled infotainment.

More often, however, infotainment refers to "soft journalism" — or news reporting where celebrities like Britney Spears and Michael Jackson, might compete with sensational stories like a murder trial or a UFO sighting for broadcast lead-in. Because of this, "infotainment" has taken some criticism over how so-called "fluff"  often takes precedence over more substantive news, such as the debate over health care or the latest statistics on the economy.

As both the internet and cable news sources like MSNBC, TMZ and Fox News have become more prevalent, criticism has also been leveled towards political commentators like Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Keith Olbermann for the way they report "news" as entertainment, and often with their own largely partisan political spin. Media critics are quick to note that today's "infotainment" bares little resemblance to the more objective standards once practiced by television journalists like Walter Cronkite.

You'll find some of the more "infotaining blogs" out there by pointing your browser towards Deadline Hollywood Daily and Olbermann Watch.

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Original Technorati articles tagged “infotainment”

• in Technology
  Faux Facts, UFOs and the Hollywood Dream Machine
  "Battle: Los Angeles" marketing technique latest example of truth-flavored news
  by actordesigner / on Nov 6, 2010

Latest blogosphere posts tagged “infotainment”

 

• Would you allow advertisements on your infotainment system? [w/poll]

  
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  Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Technology, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, InfotainmentAs consumers find new ways to avoid commercials and advertisements, companies are constantly trying to find new ways of marketing to them. Other than rad...
  1 week ago

• Report: Would you allow advertisements on your infotainment system? [w/poll]

  
  — Authority:
  Filed under: Marketing/Advertising , Technology , Buick , Cadillac , Chevrolet , GM , GMC , Infotainment As consumers find new ways to avoid commercials and advertisements, companies are constantly trying to find new ways of marketing to them. Other than radio commercials, its hard to think of a way for ...
  1 week ago

• Report: Would you allow advertisements on your infotainment system? [w/poll]

  
  — Authority:
  Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Technology, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GM, GMC, Infotainment As consumers find new ways to avoid commercials and advertisements, companies are constantly trying to find new ways of marketing to them. Other than radio commercials, it’s hard to think of a way for ads to show up in ...
  1 week ago

• Global Telematics and Infotainment: 2013 Market Research Report

  
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  Reporterlinker.com has launched its new telematics and infotainment study. The focus of the study is to tactically evaluate the global market for telematics and infotainment. The research includes key market drivers, restraints and trends in addition to recent market developments. The Article Global Telematics and ...
  2 weeks ago

• Online Identity Theft Outbreak: Computers Catching Colds [Infographic]

  
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  We’ve all been there — the blue screen of death, the red ring of death, the moment you realize your device is done for. Maybe it’s just an inconvenience. Call it Murphy’s Law or whatever you like. More often than not, your device kicks the proverbial bucket at the worst possible moment. And what for? Why? ...
  2 weeks ago

• How to Create an Awesome Infographic

  
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  Infographics are an amazing way to explain and display information along with images. Infographics which basically mean information graphics are a graphical way to represent data in an easy to read way. Through infographics, one can present complex information, data and knowledge to a range of audiences. Some other ...
  2 weeks ago

• Connected Car Trends: The First Car Radio Without a Screen or Controls

  
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  By Amy Gilroy The first car without a radio screen and controls as we know them today will debut in August from startup automaker Detroit Electric. The limited edition all-electric car model SP:01 will have no physical radio so to speak. But hidden in the car are receivers for FM, GPS, Bluetooth and GSM. The ...
  2 weeks ago

• 2013 Cadillac XTS Platinum: Road Trip Report

  
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  The latest Ride of the Week is another flagship sedan, this time from the most celebrated American luxury automaker. The 2013 Cadillac XTS Platinum is all new, making its debut last year as a 2013 model. The big, 4-door, 5-passenger sedan is powered exclusively by a 3.6-liter V6 engine, and the test car, equipped with ...
  2 weeks ago

• We Need a Chrome OS for Cars

  
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  We need a Chrome OS for cars. Not necessarily Chrome OS for Cars, but a way for us to get into any vehicle and have every preference, from seating position to suspension settings, automatically tailored to our individual taste.
  2 weeks ago

• Future of Google Fiber: Is It Really the Next Big Thing?

  
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  It’s impossible to ignore, by now, the level of hype Google Fiber has generated, since it was presented as the faster fiber broadband connection service in Kansas, USA. With speeds up to 1 gigabyte at affordable prices, Google is killing the competition in the areas where the service is already active which is ...
  2 weeks ago

• Top 10 Terrifying Old Medical Practices

  
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  Human beings have endured some of the  most horrible natural disesases for centuries. Luckily the field of medicine has now evolved to tremendous glory and there are safe and mature medical practices in place for common diseases. Although sometimes even modern medicine can be scary, but old medical practices ...
  3 weeks ago

• Cadillac CUE, Making the Most of Industry-Leading Technology

  
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  There are many vehicle infotainment systems on the market today but Cadillac is setting a luxurious standard with its industry-leading technology. The Cadillac User Experience (CUE) debuted last year in the XTS and ATS luxury sedans and SRX luxury crossover. Unlike other in-vehicle user systems, CUE is designed to ...
  3 weeks ago

• Is it the Beginning of the Downfall of Apple?

  
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  Apple is now seen as the most valuable company in the entire world, thanks to the glowing success that it experienced by creating devices like the iPod, iPhone and iPad. But ever since Steve Jobs died, some are speculating downfall of Apple. This is attributed by some to a lack of strong leadership, while others ...
  3 weeks ago

• Think You’re Tough? Try Living In Your Car

  
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  Ever looked at your car and thought “hmmm, that looks like a comfy place to sleep”? If not, perhaps you’re quite a sensible person, but if you have then you clearly like adventure (or self-enforced hardship). There’s nothing wrong with being a bit strange sometimes, and while the notion of living in your car ...
  3 weeks ago

• Top 15 Comic Book Villains of all Time

  
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  Super heroes, mutants and other men in tights have always been a source of inspiration for the youth and adults alike. However, with the good, comes the bad – you cannot have one without the other. Their foes have also contributed a lot to their noteworthy stature and are no less than any entity responsible for ...
  3 weeks ago

• J.D. Power surveys “next vehicle” wish lists

  
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    Vehicle owners have a high interest in technology related to fuel economy, device/application linking for smartphones, wireless connectivity, natural language voice activation and a variety of infotainment features for their next vehicle, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2013 U.S. Automotive Emerging ...
  4 weeks ago

• Official: NHTSA releases voluntary guidelines to combat distracted driving

  
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  Filed under: Government/Legal , Safety , Infotainment In its continuing battle against distracted driving, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued voluntary guidelines covering the use of in-car infotainment and communication devices. It is NHTSAs intention that the proposals, which ...
  4 weeks ago

• Official: NHTSA releases voluntary guidelines to combat distracted driving

  
  — Authority:
  Filed under: Government/Legal , Safety , Infotainment In its continuing battle against distracted driving, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued voluntary guidelines covering the use of in-car infotainment and communication devices. It is NHTSA’s intention that the proposals, ...
  4 weeks ago

• Official: NHTSA releases voluntary guidelines to combat distracted driving

  
  — Authority:
  Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Infotainment In its continuing battle against distracted driving, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued voluntary guidelines covering the use of in-car infotainment and communication devices. It is NHTSA’s intention that the proposals, which have been in ...
  4 weeks ago

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