Crime And Passion: Journalism For The Masses

The news media’s shift from public and political issues to the hot topics of “gossip, crime, and sex” is expertly analyzed in Dr. William R. Davie’s article “Crime and Passion: Journalism for the Masses?.” Davie cites the term “yellow journalism,” coined from Tabloid Tales: Global Debates over Media Standards authors Sparks and Tulloch, to describe the sensationalistic form of news that was popularized in the late 1800s. The sensational tabloids in Britain share the same space as many professional journals, while America separates the two so drastically because of the common professional’s contempt for the sensational methods in many tabloids (356). The British’s method of yellow journalism organization may be more effective overall, because the sensational articles can serve as an exciting gateway to more professional and accurate journalism for consumers. …show more content…
Davie cites large corporations as the cause for yellow journalism, as they push marketing strategies over news and information, undermining the countless claims of “free press,” and resulting in political ignorance running rampant in manipulated American citizens (357). Political ignorance is especially dangerous in a democracy, as the general consensus is largely influenced by dishonest news media. Candidates elected and propositions passed are, in-turn, more likely to be decided by profit-oriented Corporations than the American people. This ongoing ignorance can be halted by a more comprehensive understanding of the manipulative tactics utilized by the news