The time has come for the media industry to take a long hard look at itself and refuse to continue compromising its principles to gain one or two points in the almighty ratings game.

Chicago’s Fox-Channel 32 news has announced plans to illustrate its newscasts with crime re-enactments. The network will succumb to its newscasts’ low ratings and the cries of people who expect to be entertained and excited by everything on their screens, even a 30-minute news program.

Staring at a 30-minute assortment of fabricated crime scenes woven among legitimate news items can do nothing but blur the already shrinking line between entertainment and factual information. Viewers are becoming accustomed to shows such as “America’s Most Wanted”—another Fox product—that feature crime scenes and criminal profiles.

By changing their newscasts, networks such as Fox attack the problem from the wrong direction. Fox has chosen to travel the low road by catering to the unfortunately widening mentality that think absorbing the news should be an exciting, entertaining, fun-filled experience.

The news media, especially television, should instill in viewers and readers a genuine desire to learn more, instead of spoon-feeding sensationalized news to listless couch potatoes. Although Fox plans to clearly label its crime re-enactments to avoid viewer confusion, many viewers regrettably might be beyond help.