noun · neutral
sensationalism
UK/sɛnˈseɪʃənəlɪz(ə)m/US/sɛnˌseɪ·ʃə·nəl·ɪz·əm/sen·SEY·shun·al·ism
the use of shocking stories or language to provoke public interest and excitement, often at the expense of accuracy
Examples
“Critics accused the tabloid of sensationalism after it exaggerated the scandal.”
“Sensationalism in media can spread misinformation quickly.”
“The documentary avoided sensationalism and focused on facts.”
Band 8 sentence
“Responsible journalism requires resisting sensationalism and prioritising verifiable facts over clicks.”
Collocations
- media sensationalism
- accused of sensationalism
- avoid sensationalism
Word family
Common mistakes
The newspaper sensationalism the story.→The newspaper sensationalized the story / The newspaper used sensationalism.
There are many sensationalisms in tabloids.→There is a lot of sensationalism in tabloids / Many sensational stories appear in tabloids.
Say it for a higher band
5exaggeration→6tabloidisation→7+sensationalism
Synonyms
tabloidisation
exaggeration
Easily confused
sensational
“The report was sensational but not well sourced.”
Related words
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In -ism
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