I’m Sick of Sensationalism

Storytelling is an intrinsic and essential practice for human communication. Journalism is an important form of storytelling, especially when it comes to how we write news and consume it. However, sensationalism, the use of manipulative and shocking stories and language to draw audience interest, has overtaken the credibility of journalism and begun to dominate public perception.

Journalists are tasked with investigating and presenting stories to the public in an engaging, informative and accurate manner. As attention spans shorten and we become overloaded with information, they often take shortcuts, pursuing storytelling that favors emotional appeals and dramatics over facts. Do you ever feel anxious or on edge when reading the news? Besides the general insane state of the world right now, the language journalists use greatly contributes to the anxiety we feel when digesting current events.



Sensationalized media often hooks me on social media. In the midst of doom scrolling, I find myself suddenly jolted from my state of emotional numbness, intrigued by an eye-catching headline. In an era where social media increasingly dominates storytelling and news consumption, the perfect storm for sensationalism is brewing.

You probably care about the news if you’ve made it this far in the article, and you’re right to care. News directly affects our daily lives and interactions with friends, family, coworkers and communities. Because of this, we should demand accurate, informative and not emotionally exhaustive news.

Unfortunately, simply logging off social media and relying on information directly from news apps and websites isn’t necessarily the solution. For example, a quick Google search of “NYC news” and the top two headlines of the day for me read: “ Everyone is scared ..

.” and “ Man stabbed repeatedly on subway .” I’ve seen this shift toward stories highlighting increased unrest and violence.

When I read these, I feel pessimistic and emotionally exhausted. Is this really how the world is right now? Covering stories about crime and violence is important, but there must be a balance. There is weight to the stories we tell.

Journalism directly affects the public perception of reality. If our storytelling and news most often generate pessimism and hopelessness, we should not just be critical of the state of the world but also of the way we are reporting reality. Learning to read between the lines, recognizing when we’re feeling emotionally overwhelmed by the news and being critical about the content we engage with are always ways to develop media literacy skills.

Even if you have no interest in developing your ability to read the media critically, learning about how sensationalism draws us in and affects our emotional well-being exposes the fact that we should not rely solely on the news to learn about the world around us. With sensationalism and information overload, we have the blessing and curse of heightened awareness. Knowing this, we must be intentional about what we give our attention and energy to.

Do not just let clickbait tell you how to feel; break out of the sensationalism bubble and try your hand at the real world. When I’m feeling overwhelmed with the state of the world, I find that spending time with a friend, grabbing dinner on Arthur Ave. or doing something in the community, like volunteering or just striking up a conversation with a stranger, helps me recognize the good.

Although we are living through unprecedented and often scary times, there are still ways to not let sensationalism get the best of us. Overall, the rise in sensationalism reminds us of the importance of responsible journalism. Entertainment value should not outweigh education and accuracy.

If journalists are not going to be responsible reporters, it’s on us to be responsible, mindful consumers..