Extra! Extra! Entertainment News Is Still News…

I like reading celebrity news columns. So what? I know that I am not the only person that likes this style of journalism. The fact that celebrity sites have gained popularity over the years prove that there is a demand for it. In fact, they are just a digital version of newspaper tabloids which have been in circulation for decades.

There was a point in time when I was subscribing to more than 3 different celebrity news sites on my Google Reader. I knew the hottest party Paris Hilton went to, Lindsay Lohan’s latest hair color, and what trendy outfit David and Victoria Beckham wore to dinner. It wasn’t because I was bored, nor was I entirely superficial. There’s just something curiously addicting and entertaining about discovering the lives of others that I am not ashamed to admit to.  They don’t exactly consume my time or thoughts. I happen to like hard news as well, but sometimes they just get…too hard.

I believe news does not always have to revolve around stern, serious issues. In fact, established media publications such as CNN, AP, Reuters, BBC etc. have a permanent and flourishing Entertainment section. Granted that they are not always as sensationalized or exaggerated as New York Daily News, Perez Hilton, TMZ, Page Six, etc., they still feature this as news. It’s also interesting that they feature non-celebrity news about sensational or scandalous events like the Naked Pool Parties and Alleged Sex Acts at the US Embassy at Kabul that had 8 Guards Fired or Jaycee Dugard's harrowing story, but nobody considers it as rubbernecking when they follow the story.

Yes, some celebrity news have dominated public space, but there isn’t a specific trend or pattern on the specific type of news that capture people’s attention or curiosity. Also, as individuals, each person would be very subjective in their choice of news.  Taking a quick look at Google’s popular news for today shows me how diverse the topics or subjects are. Unconsciously, we may give more focus or zone in on something more specific that interests us that particular moment. And just because we notice that particular news present in every other publication it does not necessarily mean it’s dominating the news.

I think there is something very judgmental about assuming one type of news is better than the other. It is also foolish to think that we can ever define what we should or what we should not publish. One of the greatest things about being in a democratic country is freedom of speech. Anyone is free to present ideas, information or news. They may not all necessarily be true for each and everyone, but we are given the choice…the conscious decision to discern what we see, hear, or read.

So yes, entertainment news is still news. So what?