infotainment
/ˌɪnfə(ʊ)ˈteɪnm(ə)nt
/noun [mass noun]
Broadcast material which is intended both to entertain and to inform.Information and documentation, in the hand of corporate interests in TV-land, have become practices of the past, easily replaced by infotainment and broadcast excuses for advertising spots....
- With the rise of the mass media, the very processes of cultural activity and conversation has been turned into commodity: current affairs, elite sport, soap operas, infotainment.
- In consequence, elements of infotainment have entered news programming and viewers demand a faster pace and fewer ‘talking heads'.
Origin
1980s (originally US): blend of information and entertainment.