The 'New' News as no 'news': US cable news channels as branded political entertainment television. [Paper in thematic issue: The 'New' News. Harrington, Stephen and McNair, Brian (eds).]

Contesting the journalism frame as the basis for assessing US cable television news channels, this article argues instead for a focus on the branding and product differentiation practices that shape news content in the highly competitive cable marketplace. Politics, in particular, has become the central identifying brand marker, as cable news channels transform the raw material of public life into a variety of entertainment performances. The construction of politics is thoroughly informed by commercial strategy and brand appeal, as politics is brought to life through performances that constitute political reality for viewing audiences.