0 news that is a mixture of information and entertainment, often relating to people's private lives --
Soft news talk shows, inexpensive to produce, have become popular fare on local television.
This gives politicians an incentive to develop strategies for reaching out to soft news consumers.
Soft news coverage of politics is becoming mainstream.
In other words, soft news shows focus on the travails of individuals, rather than the broader implications or consequences of policies.
As the number of competitors increases, it becomes more likely a station will offer soft news as a programming alternative.
This involves tailoring messages to the sensibilities of soft news audiences, who constitute a large pool of relatively persuadable potential voters.
Consequently, soft news media raise attentiveness to foreign policy crises.
Most importantly, a large number of particularly persuadable potential voters are now tuning in to politics via soft news outlets.
