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Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
sensationalism
noun
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ Already one began to hear the nickname Suicide Langford; but that was either sour grapes or silly sensationalism.
▪ It is an interesting topic but unfortunately this particular author abandons scholarship in the interests of sensationalism.
▪ It smacks of both sensationalism and trivialisation.
▪ The culture of the country is increasingly enrolled in the junk cults of celebrity, sensationalism and gossip.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Sensationalism

Sensationalism \Sen*sa"tion*al*ism\, n.

  1. (Metaph.) The doctrine held by Condillac, and by some ascribed to Locke, that our ideas originate solely in sensation, and consist of sensations transformed; sensualism; -- opposed to intuitionalism, and rationalism.

  2. The practice or methods of sensational writing or speaking; as, the sensationalism of a novel.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
sensationalism

1846 in philosophy, "theory that sensation is the only source of knowledge;" 1865, of journalism that aims to excite the feelings, from sensational + -ism.

Wiktionary
sensationalism

n. 1 The use of sensational subject matter, style or methods, or the sensational subject matter itself; behavior, published materials, or broadcasts that are intentionally controversial, exaggerated, lurid, loud, or attention-grabbing. Especially applied to news media in a pejorative sense that they are reporting in a manner to gain audience or notoriety but at the expense of accuracy and professionalism. 2 (context philosophy English) A theory of philosophy that all knowledge is ultimately derived from the senses.

WordNet
sensationalism
  1. n. subject matter that is calculated to excite and please vulgar tastes

  2. the journalistic use of subject matter that appeals to vulgar tastes; "the tabloids relied on sensationalism to maintain their circulation" [syn: luridness]

  3. (philosophy) the ethical doctrine that feeling is the only criterion for what is good [syn: sensualism]

  4. (philosophy) the doctrine that knowledge derives from experience [syn: empiricism, empiricist philosophy]

Wikipedia
Sensationalism

Sensationalism is a type of editorial bias in mass media in which events and topics in news stories and pieces are overhyped to present biased impressions on events, which may cause a manipulation to the truth of a story. Sensationalism may include reporting about generally insignificant matters and events that do not influence overall society and biased presentations of newsworthy topics in a trivial or tabloid manner contrary to the standards of professional journalism.

Some tactics include being deliberately obtuse, appealing to emotions, being controversial, intentionally omitting facts and information, being loud and self-centered and acting to obtain attention. Trivial information and events are sometimes misrepresented and exaggerated as important or significant and often include stories about the actions of individuals and small groups of people, the content of which is often insignificant and irrelevant relative to the macro-level day-to-day events that occur globally. Furthermore, the content and subject matter typically affect neither the lives of the masses nor society and instead is broadcast and printed to attract viewers and readers. Examples include press coverage about the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal, Casey Anthony Trial, Tonya Harding's role in the attack of Nancy Kerrigan, the Elian Gonzalez affair and the O.J. Simpson murder case.

Usage examples of "sensationalism".

Counteracting misreporting is impossible, as we saw with the coverage of the forensic reports, with all the leaked information from uncorroborated sources, partial truths and sensationalism.

With the exception of the novel now and then which touches some religious problem or some socialistic speculation or uneasiness, or is a special freak of sensationalism, the novels which suit the greatest number of readers are those which move in a plane of absolute mediocrity, and have the slightest claim to be considered works of art. They represent the chromo stage of development.

Most of these early works were little more than pure sensationalism: colours were blended synaesthetically with ultrasonics to shock, alarm or provoke the viewer.

He also believed fervently in a philosophy expounded by a certain contingent of the Fourth Estate: Sensationalism sells better than dull facts, so don’.

Like a low-budget horror film, Sherman's work revels in its tongue-in-cheek sensationalism, its ostentatious phoniness, its use of gross and sleazy special effects.

Sure, the media tart up the news -- but why does such sensationalism work?

I could write it as a factual account (which, of course, it would be) and submit it to one of the so-called fact magazines that deal in raw sensationalism, with content on such things as treasure hunts, flying saucers, and the underground and again with the good chance that it might see the light of print, with at least some of the more moronic readers according it some credence.