Abstract
This article analyzes U.S. television news coverage of the last episode of the NBC program, Seinfeld, focusing specifically on the concept of "plugola," defined as self-interested news stories that promote entertainment events. Using the Lexis/Nexis database, stories devoted to Seinfeld that aired on the Big 3 television broadcast news networks, owned and operated stations in New York City, affiliate stations in a midsize market, and the cable networks CNBC and CNN were examined. The analysis revealed that news organizations with connections to Seinfeld covered the program's last episode more extensively than those without such connections. The article also discusses implications for the role of corporate media in modern democracy.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 383-401 |
| Number of pages | 19 |
| Journal | Journal of Communication |
| Volume | 52 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 1 2002 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Communication
- Language and Linguistics
- Linguistics and Language
Cite this
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Television news plugola and the last episode of Seinfeld. / McAllister, Matthew Paul.
In: Journal of Communication, Vol. 52, No. 2, 01.06.2002, p. 383-401.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Television news plugola and the last episode of Seinfeld
AU - McAllister, Matthew Paul
PY - 2002/6/1
Y1 - 2002/6/1
N2 - This article analyzes U.S. television news coverage of the last episode of the NBC program, Seinfeld, focusing specifically on the concept of "plugola," defined as self-interested news stories that promote entertainment events. Using the Lexis/Nexis database, stories devoted to Seinfeld that aired on the Big 3 television broadcast news networks, owned and operated stations in New York City, affiliate stations in a midsize market, and the cable networks CNBC and CNN were examined. The analysis revealed that news organizations with connections to Seinfeld covered the program's last episode more extensively than those without such connections. The article also discusses implications for the role of corporate media in modern democracy.
AB - This article analyzes U.S. television news coverage of the last episode of the NBC program, Seinfeld, focusing specifically on the concept of "plugola," defined as self-interested news stories that promote entertainment events. Using the Lexis/Nexis database, stories devoted to Seinfeld that aired on the Big 3 television broadcast news networks, owned and operated stations in New York City, affiliate stations in a midsize market, and the cable networks CNBC and CNN were examined. The analysis revealed that news organizations with connections to Seinfeld covered the program's last episode more extensively than those without such connections. The article also discusses implications for the role of corporate media in modern democracy.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036086090&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0036086090&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/joc/52.2.383
DO - 10.1093/joc/52.2.383
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0036086090
VL - 52
SP - 383
EP - 401
JO - Journal of Communication
JF - Journal of Communication
SN - 0021-9916
IS - 2
ER -