Use Your Illusion: Televised Discourse on Journalistic Ethics in the United States, 1992-1998

Journalistic ethics are predominantly created and maintained through authoritative discourse, not codification. 'The line' between mainstream and tabloid news media is a ubiquitous discursive formation that is reified and circulated through mass media and vernacular usage. This paper investigates the validity of the 'boundary' that separates the trustworthy from the questionable, through an analysis of the discourse by journalists on television programs in which transgressions are discussed. Results of the analysis show that little evidence exists for rational belief in the impermeability of the boundary, nor any support for the mainstream media claim that tabloid practices are 'contaminating' media practices generally. It is concluded that such arbitrary distinctions legitimize the dominance of mainstream media by creating a veneer of credibility, while continuing to engage in tabloid-style practices.