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Journalism & Media vocabulary · Media Ethics and Law

Sensationalism

Meaning in journalism & media, with examples

/senˈseɪʃənəlɪzəm/nounCommon term

In journalism & media, sensationalism means: Reporting that exaggerates or dramatises events, or focuses on shocking details, in order to attract attention rather than to inform.

In Turkish: sansasyonellik, sansasyon haberciliği, sansasyonel habercilik

How it is used

A criticism used by media critics, press councils and journalism teachers. Outlets are accused of sensationalism in crime, disaster and celebrity coverage. The adjective is sensational or sensationalist.

Example sentences

  1. The press council criticised the paper for sensationalism in its coverage of the murder.

  2. Avoid sensationalism: describe the injuries accurately, without graphic language.

Common collocations

  • accused of sensationalism
  • media sensationalism
  • sensationalist headline
  • avoid sensationalism
  • tabloidA newspaper with small pages, short stories and big pictures, often focused on celebrities, crime and scandal; also a style of sensational journalism.
  • clickbaitOnline headlines or content designed mainly to make people click, often by exaggerating, hiding the key fact or promising more than the story gives.
  • biasAn unfair preference for or against a person, group or idea that affects how a story is chosen, written or presented.
  • public interestThe benefit of society as a whole, used to judge whether publishing information, especially private or secret information, is justified.

More terms: Media Ethics and Law

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