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American Behavioral Scientist
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Beyond Pseudoevents

Election News as Reality TV

W. Lance Bennett

University of Washington

This analysis examines the rise of reality TV formats in news reporting. These formats put journalists in active roles in the dramatic framing of events, thus, moving news logic beyond the passive documentation of pseudoevents. Pseudoevents are made-for-media fabrications designed entirely by newsmakers to be reported as reality with little news value added by journalists. By contrast, journalistically driven reality TV formats are either coproduced actively with newsmakers or spun entirely by journalists. Coproduced reality news generally involves journalistic decisions to underplay or not report known facts or contradictory evidence that conflicts with the dramatic impact of staged events. Reality news that is initiated by journalists typically involves rumors or challenges thrown at political contestants to see who can survive the hostile media game, and who, in the case of elections, will be voted off the program.

Key Words: media and elections • reality TV • journalism and politics • news logic

American Behavioral Scientist, Vol. 49, No. 3, 364-378 (2005)
DOI: 10.1177/0002764205280919
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