Aalborg Universitet The Truthiness Factor Blurring Boundaries and the Shifting Status of Objectivity and Emotion in Television News Peters, Chris Publication date: 2009 Document Version Accepted author manuscript, peer reviewed version Link to publication from Aalborg University Citation for published version (APA): Peters, C. (2009). The Truthiness Factor: Blurring Boundaries and the Shifting Status of Objectivity and Emotion in Television News. Library and Archives Canada. http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/thesescanada/vol2/002/NR52069.PDF General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. ? Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. ? 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(Queen’s), M.A. (Carleton) A dissertation submitted to the Department of Sociology and Anthropology in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology The Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research Department of Sociology and Anthropology Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario March, 2009 © Copyright 2009, Chris Peters Abstract This dissertation explores the ‘blurring’ of news styles and emergence of new forms within American television journalism over the past 25 years. It considers how the roles of emotion and ‘objectivity’ have been reconfigured in a climate of unprecedented technological and commercial shifts. It is unique as it investigates two innovative forms of broadcast journalism, satirical news and cable magazines, not just in terms of content, but instead drawing on the sociology of emotions to conceptualize and examine how these shows attempt to craft an ‘experience of involvement’. I perform a textual analysis that considers the presentational style and branding of The O’Reilly Factor, Lou Dobbs Tonight, The Daily Show, and Colbert Report. Findings are based on a lengthy observation of each program and an in-depth examination from 2007. These analyses are situated against an examination of the CBS Evening News from 1979 and 2007. Secondary material in which key players from these programs explain the rationales behind how they craft the news is also integrated. This study finds that cable and satirical news differentiate themselves by attempting to craft a more ‘involved’ presentational style than network newscasts, but simultaneously adhere to many conventional journalistic ‘rules of truth’. There are also indications that network news, though maintaining a fairly consistent tone, is beginning to address this issue of involvement. Emerging news products often adopt a style that satirist Stephen Colbert terms ‘truthiness’, wherein tone and style become more central in attempting to generate certainty, fidelity, and trust. I argue that rather than lament the ‘loss’ of a supposed halcyon age of serious journalism, it is fruitful to take a closer look at how such products engage a progressively fragmented and time-strapped public, who are losing trust in traditional news. In academia, such ‘infotainment’ is regularly ignored, often considered as unworthy of meticulous contemplation despite its reach and influence. This dissertation can be situated instead in an emerging stream of research that stresses the sociological and cultural importance of non-valorized news forms. I locate these emerging forms as part of a broader shift described by others towards conversationalisation, personalisation and informalisation. Key Words: journalism, objectivity, news of feeling, news of fact, infotainment, informalisation, conversationalisation, personalisation, tabloidization, sociology of emotions, satire, cable news, soft news, broadcast news, television ii Acknowledgements Oscar Wilde writes in Lady Windermere’s Fan, “we are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” And while no doubt intended as a commentary on morality and behaviour, this sentiment seems apt to describe the feelings one encounters while doing a Ph.D. Isolation, dejection, frustration, and self-doubt – punctuated by instances of brilliant joy and genuine vision. Usually, though not always, someone other than ourselves is to thank for these starry moments. My supervisor, Aaron Doyle, persuaded me of my worth as a scholar when the environment dictated otherwise and I was determined to quit. His acts of support and voice were strong and resolute, and for convincing me to push on, I go far beyond simple gratitude. Pat O’Malley, my original supervisor, buggered off to the much sunnier shores of Australia half-way through this process, and really, who could blame him? That being said, without his early guidance and critical questioning, I would have sorely lacked the tools to even contemplate, much less complete, this work. Josh Greenberg sat on my committee from the beginning and constantly asked the tough but necessary question. Lois Sweet, Serra Tinic, and Chris Dornan participated in the final stages, offering many productive avenues for future research. And my colleagues, Marcel Broersma, Marc Chavannes, and Sanna Buurke, offered support and encouragement in the midst of a hectic first year lecturing abroad. Yet professional contacts provide only a few of the enduring moments when we see stars. From Slovakia to South Africa, Nicaragua to the Netherlands, elements of this dissertation were written and edited, pondered and conceived, in a variety of global locales. Critically, such journeys often made me appreciate what the gutter truly is. And personal relationships are even more indispensable. Kirsten Kolstrup, a fierce friend and fellow Ph.D., was a constant source of positive reinforcement or serendipitous distraction – whichever was needed – during the final stages of this process. And as for my parents, Holwyn and Elizabeth Peters, I noted in my M.A. acknowledgements that I owe them my readiness for a challenge and thirst for adventure. I’m happy to report that nothing has changed. Somewhere over the Atlantic, March 2009. iii Table of Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................................. ii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ................................................................................................................... iv List of Figures ......................................................................................................................... vi Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1 Chapter 2: Accelerated Transmutation – The Visible Shifts in Broadcast Journalism ............ 25 Profitable Publics – Fragmentation and Commercialisation ....................................................27 From Satellites to Soundscapes – The Technological Revolution .............................................40 ‘Feeling’ Facts – The Feminisation of the Workforce ...............................................................50 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................57 Chapter 3: Accelerated Modulation – The Tonal Shifts in Broadcast Journalism .................... 63 Blurred Boundaries – Emotions, Reflexivity and the ‘Decline’ of Objectivity ..........................64 Ratcheting Up the Rhetoric – Emotion, Sensationalism, and Tabloidization .......................73 Re‐configuring Objectivity – The Involved Standpoint of Reflexive Journalism ...................82 Conclusion..................................................................................................................................89 Chapter 4: Seeing Things Invisible – A Method to Vision ....................................................... 92 Floating to the Surface – The Deeper Meaning(s) of Texts ......................................................98 Meanings and Myths – Semiotic Understandings of the News ..........................................102 Themes and Storytelling – Narratives and the News ..........................................................109 A Cautionary Note about the Experience of Involvement ..................................................112 Demarcating the Boundaries – Sampling a News of Feeling ..................................................113 Chapter 5: No‐Spin Zones – The Growth of the Cable Magazine .......................................... 121 Feeding the Beast – The Rise of Cable News ..........................................................................125 What Factors In? – Typical Format, Recurring Segments,