The Integrated News Spectacle examines the rational organization of control of popular news forms. It uses spectacular media events - such as the mourning of Princess Diana, the Monica Lewinsky presidential scandal, and the Gulf wars of 1991 and 2003 - as entry points into a discussion of the broader context surrounding an integrated system of commodity production, distribution and exchange. James R. Compton critiques the generally accepted notion of tabloidization associated with media spectacles, and situates these dramatic narratives within a broad historical context. Drawing on the work of Guy Debord, David Harvey, and Pierre Bourdieu, this book explains how the power relationships associated with media events can best be comprehended by revealing the practical application of the logic of spectacle - a logic characterized by the transposable circulation and promotion of cultural commodities. The Integrated News Spectacle examines the rational organization of control of popular news forms. It uses spectacular media events - such as the mourning of Princess Diana, the Monica Lewinsky presidential scandal, and the Gulf wars of 1991 and 2003 - as entry points into a discussion of the broader context surrounding an integrated system of commodity production, distribution and exchange. James R. Compton critiques the generally accepted notion of tabloidization associated with media spectacles, and situates these dramatic narratives within a broad historical context. Drawing on the work of Guy Debord, David Harvey, and Pierre Bourdieu, this book explains how the power relationships associated with media events can best be comprehended by revealing the practical application of the logic of spectacle - a logic characterized by the transposable circulation and promotion of cultural commodities. Acknowledgments xi Introduction 1(8) 1 Spectacle, Ritual, and Power 9(22) Judging Popular Media 9(5) Entertainment Versus Information 14(2) News as Dramatic Ritual 16(6) Remembering Power 22(3) Historicizing News Ritual 25(6) 2 The Nature of Spectacle 31(28) Aesthetics, Fascism, and Totality 31(3) Media Logic and Representation 34(2) Spectacular Representation 36(2) Commodities, Meaning, and Spectacle 38(3) The Logic of Spectacle 41(3) Practice, Promotion, and Spectacular Media Events 44(4) Promotional Fulcrum: The Micro Level 48(4) Spectacular Storytelling and Flexible Production 52(7) 3 Steps towards Spectacular Integration 59(38) Beginnings of Integrated News 59(1) Commodification of Place, Space, and Time 60(3) Human Interest and Commercial Interests 63(4) Setting the Scene 67(2) The State, Ownership Limits, and the Push for Profits 69(2) New Media, Blurring Boundaries, and Audience Fragmentation 71(2) Dealing with Market Uncertainty 73(2) All Is Fair in All-Talk Broadcasting 75(4) The Integrated Efficiencies of 24-Hour News 79(3) The Attraction of the Big Story 82(8) Market Regulation and the Perceived Safety of Convergence 90(7) 4 Convergence and the Myth of Variety 97(40) The Unity of Abundance and the Abundance of Unity 97(3) Dreams of Digital Transcendence and Material Constraints 100(2) Protecting Discrete Revenue Streams 102(3) Branding from the Inside Out 105(4) Reaggregating Fragmented Audiences 109(6) Convergence and Market Uncertainty 115(5) Benefits of Repurposing News Resources 120(1) Repurposing News 24/7 and Big News Stories 121(3) Repurposing News: The Threat to Independent Newsgathering 124(6) Integrated News and Conflicting Journalistic Interests 130(4) Promotional Events and Questionable News Judgment 134(3) 5 Performance of Politics and the Politics of Performance 137(30) Appearance, Politics, and Popular Culture 139(3) Representation, Politics, and Modernity 142(4) Legitimation, Rationality, and Judging Dramatic Representation 146(5) Aestheticization, Politics, and Reification 151(1) Flexibility, Control, and the Politics of Performance 152(3) Tapping into the Integrated News Spectacle 155(5) "Body" Politics 160(2) Autonomy, Professionalism, and the Performance of Politics 162(5) 6 The Integrated Spectacle of War 167(26) Shock and Awe 167(4) Branding War 171(3) Weapons of Mass Distraction 174(5) Promoting Patriotism 179(3) In Bed with Militainment, 24/7 182(3) The Myth of the Saving of Private Lynch 185(4) Falling Statues and Flexible Memory 189(4) Conclusion: Spectacular Integration and Autonomy 193(6) Notes 199(10) Bibliography 209(24) Index 233