Sociologist: The intended function of news is to give us information on which to act  But in a consumer society, news becomes a product to be manufactured and dispensed to the consumer  An enormous industry for the production and consumption of news has evolved, and we ingest news with an insatiable appetite
Under such circumstances, news is primarily entertaining and cannot, ttherefore, serve its intended function
News that primarily entertains does not give us information on which to act.