The Eighties in America - Salem Press (2009)

cast or documentary but defied accepted journalis-
tic standards. Examples of the format includedA
Current Affair (also a FOX creation),Hard Copy,
America’s Most Wanted, andUnsolved Mysteries, which
relied heavily on reenactment.America’s Most Wanted
andUnsolved Mysteriesadded audience participation
to the tabloid format.
The third format or genre of tabloid television
was the tabloid talk show. Usually, such a show’s host
posed a question in each episode or segment, and
guests represented various sides of the featured is-
sue. Phil Donohue and Oprah Winfrey began as
Chicago favorites before their talk shows became na-
tionally syndicated. Winfrey was credited with legiti-
mizing the daytime talk show by bringing a level of
sincerity to controversial subjects. Morton Downey,
Jr., was far more provocative. He did not interview
guests so much as scream at and belittle them. He
treated members of his audience in the same fash-
ion. Downey aired only in late-night time slots.
Few people personified tabloid television more
than did Geraldo Rivera, an Emmy and Peabody
award-winning reporter. Rivera’s career turned to
the sensational when he hosted a special titledSecrets
of Al Capone’s Vaultin 1986. It was revealed on live
television that there were in fact no secrets inside the
vault, but the program was highly rated for a syndi-
cated special. Within a year, Rivera had his own talk
show and covered everything from crossdressers to
neo-Nazis. In one show featuring neo-Nazis, a skin-
head broke a chair over Rivera’s head and broke his
nose.

Impact Tabloid television brought changes in local
and national news, forcing journalists to compete
for stories that they once would have ignored. To the
distress of many longtime journalists, by the end of
the 1980’s, network news departments were examin-
ing successful tabloid programs to see what aspects
they could incorporate in their own newscasts and
news specials.

Further Reading
Glynn, Kevin.Tabloid Culture: Trash Taste, Popular
Power, and the Transformation of American Television.
Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 2000. Ana-
lyzes tabloid television’s effect on television in
general.
Kearns, Burt.Tabloid Baby.New York: Celebrity
Books, 1999. Kearns—the producer ofA Current
Affairwho had worked in print media for Rupert

Murdoch—discusses his career in both print and

television tabloids.

Kimmel, Daniel M.The Fourth Network: How Fox Broke

the Rules and Reinvented Television. Chicago: Ivan R.

Dee, 2004. History of the FOX Network through

2000, with accounts by insiders.

Krajicek, David J.Scooped! Media Miss Real Stor y on

Crime While Chasing Sex, Sleaze, and Celebrities. New

York: Columbia University Press, 1998. Print jour-

nalist examines taboidization and its negative ef-

fects on legitimate news coverage.

Povich, Maury, and Ken Gross.Current Affairs: A Life

on the Edge. New York: Putnam’s, 1998. Talk show

host Maury Povich’s account ofA Current Affair.

Nancy Meyer

See also America’s Most Wanted; Cable television;

Crime; FOX Network; Journalism; Network anchors;

Rivera, Geraldo; Talk shows; Television; Winfrey,

Oprah.

Talk shows

Definition Television programs in which the host,

guests, and audience engage in topical

conversations

Talk shows of the 1980’s reflected changing demographics

in society and offered television viewers opportunities for

self-improvement through relevant topics and “infotain-

ment.”

Since the beginning of television, talk shows have

been a popular programming choice of both pro-

ducers and viewers. With appealing hosts, interest-

ing guests, and timely topics, talk shows have consis-

tently attracted large and loyal audiences. During

the 1980’s, however, talk shows not only maintained

their popularity but also saw an increase in viewer-

ship, resulting in an explosion of talk show formats,

increased competition, diverse hosts, and ground-

breaking subject matter.

Sociological Changes Prior to the 1980’s, talk

shows and news programs generally were hosted by

white males such as Johnny Carson, Phil Donahue,

and Dick Cavett. On the heels of the civil rights

movements of the 1960’s and 1970’s, the 1980’s wit-

nessed great shifts in traditional demographics. Mi-

norities became recognized and sought-after con-

The Eighties in America Talk shows
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