"Sensationalism" is not a bug. It's an essential aspect of useful news.
Those of you who think it isn't... let me guess... You didn't major in sociology, anthropology, or psychology?
Those of you who respect sociology/anthropology/psychology and yet still think that "sensationalism" (presented in quotes because that is a socially-constructed, loaded term) is something that distracts you from real news, I'd like to hear some of your nuanced thoughts on this. Because it seems to me that one man's "sensationalizing" is another man's "helping you understand the relevance of recent events to your life." And that's quite important.
Seems to me it’s just a hyperbolic arms race in a pretty naked attempt to generate clicks at all costs. I am quite content to figure out how the news effects me without breathless editorializing in the title.
What would be an example of a headline that you think people would label Sensationalist but that you would describe as "helping you understand the relevance of recent events to your life." ?
Those of you who think it isn't... let me guess... You didn't major in sociology, anthropology, or psychology?
Those of you who respect sociology/anthropology/psychology and yet still think that "sensationalism" (presented in quotes because that is a socially-constructed, loaded term) is something that distracts you from real news, I'd like to hear some of your nuanced thoughts on this. Because it seems to me that one man's "sensationalizing" is another man's "helping you understand the relevance of recent events to your life." And that's quite important.