More drama, less information: the infotainment virus

For decades, it was believed that widespread access to information would make us more aware citizens and create more mature societies. Today, we live surrounded by data, opinions, and breaking news. And yet, public debate seems increasingly superficial, emotional, and fractured. What paradox is this?

We are witnessing the replacement of analysis by reaction. Contradiction by indignation. The construction of meaning by the explosion of clicks. Infotainment , this blend of information and entertainment, has taken over the media and political space. Dramatized news, hyperbolic headlines, and insinuating interpretations are not the exception: they are the rule.

This isn't because journalists have lost track of what's relevant. Quite the opposite. Many face empty newsrooms, frantic workloads, and digital performance demands that leave little room for depth. In an ecosystem where audience attention is measured in seconds, resorting to formulas that provoke quick reactions is almost inevitable, even if this compromises the quality of the content.

But the consequences are real. When technical, financial, or legal news is wrapped in a narrative of confrontation, tension, or suspicion, the public is left with the feeling that there's always something hidden, a war going on behind the scenes, a "them" versus "us." Even if the facts don't support this narrative. What should inform, clarifying context and implications, instead fuels distrust and polarization.

This style of coverage, more intriguing than instructive, isn't just a matter of form. It's a factor in the erosion of institutional trust and democratic impoverishment. Politics becomes a series of episodes with villains and heroes. Institutions lose the space to explain themselves. Citizens are treated as spectators, not participants.

This isn't about demanding boring or bureaucratic journalism. It's about reclaiming the mission of reporting accurately, even in competitive and fast-paced environments. It's possible to write engagingly without distorting the essential. It's possible to capture attention without manipulating perception. It's possible, and necessary.

Responsibility, of course, isn't exclusive to the media . Digital culture has accustomed us to immediate rewards. Social media amplifies extreme emotions. News consumers themselves have come to prefer quick gratification to deep understanding.

Robust democracies thrive on informed debate, pluralism, and time to reflect. If we allow the public sphere to be dominated by noise, insinuations, and false dilemmas, we'll all end up discussing simplified versions of reality and making decisions based on distorted perceptions.

We need to slow down. Perhaps think more and react less. We need to demand more responsibility from those who report, but also more responsibility from ourselves, as readers and citizens.

Information is not fulfilled in the show. It is fulfilled in clarification.

Communications consultant