Tabloid Journalism

Tabloid journalism is a banal, but often commercially successful, form of media communication. The first aim of tabloids is to inform or entertain its readership. The second aim is to sell as many newspapers as possible. The third aim is to attract advertising revenue. Tabloid reporting is normally characterized by sensationalism, moralism, overdramatization, clichés, and the obsession with celebrities. It is ethically problematic on two general counts. First, it is inconsistent with the societal and institutional ethical values that underpin the media as an institution. Second, it tends to infringe upon a number of important individual moral rights, including the right to privacy, to a fair trial, and not to be defamed.