Coverage of the Clinton-Lewinsky saga followed in a long trail of media exposures of the more personal details of the lives of public figures. Many commentators have seen stories like this, and TV shows like Jerry Springer's, as evidence of a decline in the standards of the mass media. This increasing interest in private lives and the falling off of coverage of serious news is often described as Otabloidization.O The essays in this book are the first serious scholarly studies of what is going on and what its implications are. Reality, it turns out, is much more complex than some of the laments suggest. As the contributors show, this is not just a U.S. problem but is repeated in country after country, and it is not certain that the media anywhere are getting more tabloid. What is more, there is no consensus about whether tabloidization is just Odumbing downO or whether it is a necessary tactic for the mass media to engage with new audiences who do not have the news habit. Tabloid Tales will be of interest to students and scholars in journalism, mass communication, political science, and cultural and media studies.

About the Author
Colin Sparks is professor of media studies in the Centre for Communication and Information Studies at the University of Westminster. John Tulloch is chair of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Westminster.

Reviews
This book is worth reading and the ideas in it worth exploring. * European Journal Of Communication *
The book is an excellent source of theoretical discussion and well-supported research on tabloidization. * Journal of Communication *
This book-and its willingness to deal with implications-enables the reader to draw better conclusions than would be possible without it. * Media Ethics *
The scope and range of these chapters are impressive. * Media Ethics *
Most rewarding. -- James Boylan * Columbia Journalism Review *



Book Information
ISBN 9780847695720
Author Colin Sparks
Format Paperback
Page Count 336
Imprint Rowman & Littlefield
Publisher Rowman & Littlefield
Weight(grams) 499g
Dimensions(mm) 228mm * 153mm * 25mm