Between Credibility and Commodification

This article examines the institutional logic of programming for global audiences using Discovery Communications Inc. as an example. Global media expansion is connected to other trends such as the fragmentation of audiences, industry consolidation and greater profit expectations. One of the genres fitting these new programming demands is so-called nonfiction entertainment. The article analyzes how Discovery Communications Inc. developed this genre distinction situated between traditional journalistic values and commercial interests, and explains the problematic implications of this dynamic on independent documentary producers and public service television. Concluding, the author highlights some consequences of these findings for research in international communication and media economy.