Proponents of “infotainment” might want to start giving television news audiences a little less fluff and a little more credit for thinking.

A media watcher from Irvine, California, has been comparing English- and Spanish-language evening television news broadcasts in the Los Angeles area and found that not only are Spanish programs more popular, but they also are much more informative.

Joe Mathews, a senior fellow at the New America Foundation, found that on a typical half-hour evening broadcast, the three English channels might lead with news such as weather or a brief roundup of local events, but then switch to what he called “trivia,” such as stories about celebrities, fashion, entertainment and other “soft features.” The two Spanish channels provided fewer short features, but offered more in-depth reports on news topics, providing context and a wide perspective.