Infomercials: A Genre in Search of Legitimacy. (Mass Communication Instructional Unit).

A wide variety of media subjects are discussed in an introductory mass communication course at Southern Arkansas University, and one of the most popular instructional sections with students is "infomercials." This paper acquaints students with the history, scope, and controversy surrounding the infomercial genre. It first explains that infomercials are 30-minute program-length advertisements seen on cable television networks and broadcast affiliates. It then examines infomercials as a genre seeking legitimacy, looking at them from a number of perspectives. The new trend of mainstream corporations producing infomercials is also considered. Some of the questions the paper addresses are: how much money the infomercial business generates; what the cost of producing an infomercial is; who the major producers are; what are the types of products for which they are most effective; and what the cost of buying 30 minutes on cable television is. Elements in the paper are discussed as an instructional unit, interspersed with viewing segments or edited clips of infomercials in class. As a result, the paper states, students better understand how advertising, marketing, demographics, psychology, self-esteem, and emotional appeals are just some of the factors that can lead to the success or failure of infomercials. Contains 30 references. (NKA)