1. Sensationalism in Journalism
By Anna Shorina
Chuvash State University

2. “Don't forget this, too: Rumors aren't
interested in the unsensational story;
rumors don't care what's true.”
― John Irving, In One Person.

3. Sensationalism is nothing new
NYU Journalism Professor Mitchell Stephens, in
his book "A History of News” writes that
sensationalism has been around ever since early
humans began telling stories, ones that invariably
focused on sex and conflict.

4. "I have never found a
time when there
wasn't a form for the
exchange of news
that included
sensationalism

5. Whatever the timing is-
sensationalism setting,
Whatever the time or
is there!
"sensationalism is unavoidable
in news - because we humans
are wired, probably for reasons
of natural selection, to be alert
to sensations, particularly those
involving sex and violence,"
Stephens said.

6. Ratings say “yes”
Many ask why there should be a concern about
news being more entertaining than informative.
If ratings are reflective of what audience's
desires and preferences, than the majority seems
to approve of these types of programs.

7. Some students of
journalism point to this
trend as disturbing because
it creates an unenlightened
public.

8. Sensationalism also serves a function
by promoting the spread of information
to less-literate audiences and
strengthening the social fabric, Stephens
said.

9. What’s the use?
"While there is plenty of silliness in our various
tales of wantonness and crime, they do manage
to serve various important societal/cultural
functions: in establishing or questioning, for
example, norms and boundaries,“ Stephen
mentions.

10. The Junk Food Factor
There's another point to be made about
sensational news stories: we love them.

11. Sensational stories
are the junk food of
our news diet, the ice
cream sundae that
you eagerly gobble
up. You know it's bad
for you but it's
delicious. And you
can always have a
salad tomorrow.

12. Perfectly normal
It's the same
with news.
Sometimes
there's nothing
better than poring
over the sober
pages of The
New York Times,

13. And despite what high-minded
critics might say, there's nothing
wrong with that. Indeed, an
interest in the sensational seems
to be, if nothing else, an all-too
human quality.

14. Distinguishing the two
The link between journalism and
sensationalism is nothing new, but it's
something all professional freelance
writers must be aware of as they're
getting articles ready for publication.

15. Understanding Journalism and
Sensationalism
To understand the controversy surrounding
sensationalism in journalism, you must first have a clear
grasp of what these two terms mean.

16. Journalism

17. Key principals:
• Objective and unbiased reporting
• Factual accuracy
• Distribution of useful knowledge
• Service of the public good
• Fulfills a genuine need to know
• Avoids slander or libel

18. What do they stand for?
• Journalists help people understand complex
issues, motivate them to become more involved
in their communities, and give them a broader
perspective on worldwide events.

19. Sensationalism:
• Controversial
• Shocking
• Attention grabbing
• Failing to explain the broader issues behind the
story while focusing on superficial details
• Published to attract readers, regardless of
whether the information is accurate or
informative

20. Example
Some examples of sensational stories you might
find in the media include stories about the private
sexual exploits of famous actors and actresses or
repeated coverage of crimes that are unique in their
level of gore and violence.
Articles that use junk science to back up dubious
claims such as "a woman over the age of 40 who gets
pregnant is doomed to give birth to a special needs
child" can also be considered sensational.

21. Accusations of sensationalism seem to
come up most often in the field of
broadcast journalism, but print
journalists can be involved in this as well.

22. History of Sensationalism
in the Media

23. How they used to make
sensationalism
Newspapers would run minor news stories
with huge, overly dramatic headlines and the
lavish use of attention-getting pictures or
drawings.
Stories would often be misleading and feature
pseudo-science or quotes from faked interviews.

24. 1890’s
• In the 1890’s, The New York World run by
Joseph Pulitzer and The New York Journal run
by William Randolph Hearst were known for
yellow journalism, yet routinely outsold
competitors who published purely objective
content.

25. What does the Public Want?
• Today, the debate surrounding journalism and
sensationalism is complex because publications
are under more pressure than ever to increase
their circulation in order to attract profitable
advertisers.

26. People are hungry for sensation
sensational content attracts readers quickly. All
you need to do to illustrate this principle is to
visit a newsstand and count the number of
people reading celebrity gossip magazines
versus those who are reviewing the latest issue
of Time or Newsweek.

27. Avoiding Sensationalism
For a freelance writer, the real danger occurs
when a story starts off to be journalism and
begins to veer into sensational territory.

28. For example, a writer working on a story
about the current economic recession could
include statistics about the unemployment
rate, interviews with officials in local
economic development offices, and
information about which major businesses
have laid off workers in the last year.

29. How to support journalism?
Anecdotes could also be used to support key
points in the story, although this is where
writers must be careful not to be overly
sensational.

30. Choosing your support wisely
Anecdotes should represent the common
experience, not what is most shocking.
Choosing to profile a single mother lost her
job at Wal-Mart and has five children with
four different men is not responsible
journalism if your statistics indicate that
most of the people affected by the poor
economy in your area are middle-aged men
who work in the construction or
manufacturing industries.