Journalism

The television news takes its formula straight out of storytelling rather than by an anthropological/historical approach worthy of academic sourcing. News anchors call the work "news stories" which have antagonists and protagonists in conflict. Just like reading a story with no drama/tension makes for a boring read, so would the news if it were all "good news." The news produces compelling tales of boogymen and endless tragedies, narrated by the trusting voices of the so-called "good guys." The ratio of conflict/peace time in a story is the same as the news, 7:1. Just like a movie takes true events, and bends what really happened to fit a film script formula, the news does the same with current events. They look for drama rather than the facts. When a film is shot, a rough cut is produced. It undergoes a cutting process in editing which puts much of the work in the garbage. If that garbage is funny, it's a blooper. The news undergoes a similar process, producing bloopers, and when it's live news, it becomes theater/improvisation. There is no such thing in academics. Professors are not doing theater, nor will a blooper exist when a professor rephrases a sentence. The news is ultimately the most compelling reality-tv show because people believe it is authentically accurate. The news is a work of entertainment, rather than a work of academic value.