An Approximation for the Study of Infotainment on the Internet: Origin, Development and Future Perspectives

Abstract

Infotainment is considered as the dominant trend in journalism and communication (Prado, 2003:178-186).  Television, radio and even serious press increasingly seek to entertain. This phenomenon leads to despising or dedicating less time to traditional topics of public interest to look for new matters that wake the curiosity of the audience. Based on this argument, this investigation develops a qualitative review of the literature published in national and international context on political infotainment on the Internet in order to update knowledge on infotainment. The results show that, in spite of the fact that lately investigations have been arising, inside and out of Spain, still are needed new studies that explore the form, content and consequences of political infotainment on the network. The aim of this study is, therefore, to know what investigative dimension has this phenomenon in the Spanish academy and to try to define new lines of study and future exploration of a phenomenon which is increasingly importantly on the Internet and in traditional media as well. Some suggested lines of research are: the relationship between infotainment and interactivity, the use of infotainment in search of economic profit from new media or the review of the classic uses and the gratifications theories applied to the information on the Internet.