Issue Area: Sensationalism
Profit-driven news organizations are under great pressure to boost ratings by sensationalizing the news: focusing attention on lurid, highly emotional stories, often featuring a bizarre cast of characters and a gripping plot but devoid of significance to most people's lives. From Tonya Harding to O.J. Simpson to Elian Gonzalez, major news outlets have become more and more dependent on these kind of tabloid soap operas to keep profits high.Back to What's Wrong With the News
Media’s ‘Girls Gone Wild’ Fantasies: Pregnant girls ignored in story on ‘pregnancy pact’ (September/October 2008) By
Bono, I Presume?: Covering Africa Through Celebrities (May/June 2007) By
Star Power Trumps History in AIDS Coverage: A love letter to the 'two Bills' (September/October 2006) By
Bono, I Presume?: Covering Africa Through Celebrities (May/June 2007) By
Star Power Trumps History in AIDS Coverage: A love letter to the 'two Bills' (September/October 2006) By
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Memory Unerased: Deep Dish documents the unseen Iraq War (September/October 2006) By
Capote vs. Capote: History, Hollywood and the mainstream media (March/April 2006) By
George Gerbner, 1919–2005: From anti-fascist fighter to cultural environmentalist (March/April 2006) By
Sidebar: Suspect Sources: Behind Tales of Mayhem (November/December 2005) By
World’s Worst Disasters Overlooked: Survey identifies biggest “forgotten” crises (May/June 2005) By
Media Mind-Readers:: Pretending to know official motives is not journalism (September/October 2004) By
That's Militainment!: The Pentagon's media-friendly (May/June 2003) By
Ann Slanders: Is Coulter's book about "lies" a self-indictment? (November/December 2002) By
The New Crack: Which will it be--pot or Ecstasy? (September/October 2001) By
What's Not Talked About on Sunday Morning?: Issues of corporate power are not on the agenda (September/October 2001) By and
The Elian Saga: An Oral History (Update June 2000)
Castro Wants the Kid Back: Favorite themes of 'Cuban Boy' coverage (March/April 2000) By
Can We Get Back to the Sex?: When the press gets serious, that’s when it’s time to worry (May/June 1999) By
Monica Mania (Update October 1998)
The Myth of the 'Crack Baby': Despite Research, Media Won't Give Up Idea Of 'Bio-Underclass' (September/October 1998) By
In Hot Pursuit--or in Heat?: "Sex sells" has become a journalistic principal (March/April 1998) By
Diana Mania (Update October 1997)
Invasion of the Magazine Snatchers: The Sassy/'Teen Merger: (November/December 1995) By
Don't Forget the Hype: Media, Drugs, and Public Opinion (September 1992) By
Memory Unerased: Deep Dish documents the unseen Iraq War (September/October 2006) By
Capote vs. Capote: History, Hollywood and the mainstream media (March/April 2006) By
George Gerbner, 1919–2005: From anti-fascist fighter to cultural environmentalist (March/April 2006) By
Sidebar: Suspect Sources: Behind Tales of Mayhem (November/December 2005) By
World’s Worst Disasters Overlooked: Survey identifies biggest “forgotten” crises (May/June 2005) By
Media Mind-Readers:: Pretending to know official motives is not journalism (September/October 2004) By
That's Militainment!: The Pentagon's media-friendly (May/June 2003) By
Ann Slanders: Is Coulter's book about "lies" a self-indictment? (November/December 2002) By
The New Crack: Which will it be--pot or Ecstasy? (September/October 2001) By
What's Not Talked About on Sunday Morning?: Issues of corporate power are not on the agenda (September/October 2001) By and
The Elian Saga: An Oral History (Update June 2000)
Castro Wants the Kid Back: Favorite themes of 'Cuban Boy' coverage (March/April 2000) By
Can We Get Back to the Sex?: When the press gets serious, that’s when it’s time to worry (May/June 1999) By
Monica Mania (Update October 1998)
The Myth of the 'Crack Baby': Despite Research, Media Won't Give Up Idea Of 'Bio-Underclass' (September/October 1998) By
In Hot Pursuit--or in Heat?: "Sex sells" has become a journalistic principal (March/April 1998) By
Diana Mania (Update October 1997)
Invasion of the Magazine Snatchers: The Sassy/'Teen Merger: (November/December 1995) By
Don't Forget the Hype: Media, Drugs, and Public Opinion (September 1992) By
Bart Laws on swine flu, Kristin Thomson on radio diversity study (5/8/09)
Robert Dreyfuss on Obama's foreign policy, Amanda Marcotte on 'pregnancy pact' story (7/11/08)
Justin Levitt on Supreme Court and voter ID, Sara Robinson on Texas Mormons case (5/2/08)
Robert Dreyfuss on Obama's foreign policy, Amanda Marcotte on 'pregnancy pact' story (7/11/08)
Justin Levitt on Supreme Court and voter ID, Sara Robinson on Texas Mormons case (5/2/08)
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Arianna Huffington on Utah mining disaster, Ralph Nader on talk radio payola (8/24/07)
Laila al-Arian on 'The Other War,' Ann Toback on broadcast news survey (8/3/07)
John Feffer on North Korea, Neil DeMause on welfare and poverty (7/7/06)
Earl Ofari Hutchinson on Katrina and racism, Ward Harkavy on the Bush Beat (10/14/05)
Mark Jones on "forgotten crises," Jack Shaheen on Arabs on TV (3/18/05)
Arianna Huffington on Utah mining disaster, Ralph Nader on talk radio payola (8/24/07)
Laila al-Arian on 'The Other War,' Ann Toback on broadcast news survey (8/3/07)
John Feffer on North Korea, Neil DeMause on welfare and poverty (7/7/06)
Earl Ofari Hutchinson on Katrina and racism, Ward Harkavy on the Bush Beat (10/14/05)
Mark Jones on "forgotten crises," Jack Shaheen on Arabs on TV (3/18/05)
Flirting With Fascism on CNN Headline News: Host Glenn Beck threatens Muslims with concentration camps (12/5/06)
Lessons from London: Bombings show right was right all along, pundits say (7/11/05)
Dateline NBC Exploits Central Park Victims (6/23/00)
Lessons from London: Bombings show right was right all along, pundits say (7/11/05)
Dateline NBC Exploits Central Park Victims (6/23/00)
