Sensationalism in the News Essay

Having served nearly thirty years at CBS News, Mr. Goldberg had earned a reputation as one of the most original writers and thinkers in broadcast journalism. However, when he observed his own industry, he realized the liberal media had completely missed their mission to give honest news. After years of sharing his observations and promoting more balanced reportings, Goldberg soon realized that no one listened because they believed they were doing the right thing. The liberal bias continued, therefore Bernard Goldberg decided to take the situation into his own hands and expose the distortion of the media himself. Goldberg’s breathtaking and shocking best seller book, Bias, reveals the close-mindedness of the news culture and their mission to entertain rather than share facts.

Media coverage of news events can be disseminated to the general public in any number of different ways and media biases often “reflects certain organizational and/or professional preferences or values” (Bennett 2011, 173). In fact, Lundman (2003) points out “that journalists assess the newsworthiness of homicides occurrences using the relative frequency of particular types of murders and how well specific murder occurrences mesh with stereotypical race and gender typifications (357).” In addition, Johnson (2012) felt that the real job of media was to “create a message that…grabs public attention (62).” In other words, can the media grab the public’s attention and hold it?

Clay Shirky who wrote Newspapers and Thinking the Unthinkable (1993) argues that society doesn’t need newspapers society needs journalism to save society. Shirky supports this argument by giving a historical background to the problems newspapers face and how the problems have developed over time and the solutions society has came up with. The blogger concludes that in order for journalism to go farther new models must be created in place of past molds. Shirky directs this blog toward the current and future generations in attempt to motivate new models and methods of journalism.

Saunders criticizes the megaphone, claiming it places priority on entertaining, profitable news as opposed to news that is educational or enlightening. Saunders furthers this claim by arguing that news media is habitually over-simplifying complicated issues, thus desensitizing the masses to stupidity and frivolity. Saunders’ essay is important because although it was published in 2007, it is still relevant (and will most likely be relevant as long as media exists). In fact, the points he makes in this essay are even more relatable now, as social media has increased greatly in popularity. Everywhere you look, there is a new “breaking story” about the Kardashians or the Jenners; and people accept this as real news! Saunders’ essay encourages readers to be critical of mass media and seek out undiluted, uncontaminated, earnest news

In a general sense society derives much of their beliefs and indifferences from stories that are covered in the media. If the stories are being reported biased, how can we, as a society, see the whole picture? The author's purpose is to inform readers about the different biases that news and media sway by and to provide evidence that proves instances when these biases have weakened the validity of the reporter's story. "Journalist are like dogs-whenever anything moves, they begin to bark." (Gladstone, 2011/2013, P.25)

Joseph Pulitzer- American newspaper editor and publisher who helped establish the pattern of the modern newspaper. In his time he was one of the most powerful journalists in the United States.

Rising international hostility and intensifying wars became a source of aesthetic influence in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Due to multiple wars across the world and dwindling military support in America, news media and propaganda artists found inspiration in exploring the political and social controversies both in America and around the world. Newspaper publishers, such as the New York World and the New York Journal thrived in analyzing and reporting progress made in the fight to obtain power in smaller countries: “Two newspapers locked in a fierce competition for readers, William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal and Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World, strove to outdo each other with sensational headlines about every Spanish atrocity in

“Journal articles instructed readers on how to act, how to consume, and how to eat” (Barkan 20). Muckraker journalism was made to showcase the negative sides of society that may have not been exposed to readers directly. These journalists played a tremendous role in presenting major problems to the public, in turn also to Congress. Once the muckrakers caught on to what these industries were doing they investigated and gave all the information on what was going on behind the scenes.

While many may see investigative journalism as essential and an expression of our first amendment rights, when over sensationalized it can cast a dark cloud over an entire country.

The journalists and editorialists had a ball during this time in Chicago because they had the opportunities to write about the heated debates on the streets and within the city hall about the economic inequality and non-existent political freedoms for all. Because newspaper articles and magazines were not hard to be found, anyone on the street had the ability to gather information available on the current issues which allowed citizens to form his or her opinion about relationships between industrialists and the working poor or how the different races and ethnicities were assimilating into the Chicagoan culture of the mid-1800s. The media played a negative role because the businessmen and upper classes most likely paid attention to the articles that supported their beliefs which meant looking down upon any person or persons not associated with his or her thought- to- be superior lifestyle. Certain phrases published in newspapers degrading the immigrants and anarchists included words such as that they “should be treated like wild beasts” (Green 239). Along with the negative influence, the daily press included in one of its many articles that the immigrants were “long-haired idiots and knaves” with women who acted like harlots, and they heard speeches from a determined Negress (Green 144). Because the

Many times, the media is the main cause in contributing and encouraging the creation of crime myths. The mass media have responsibilities to update the public on the activities occurring domestically and internationally. Stories or reports have to grab the attention of viewers and often times this is accomplished through methods of dramatizing and sensationalizing stories. Instead of stating solely fact, mass media reports have become bias opinions, allowing for it to evolve into more of an entertainment business rather than news.

During this week I investigated many different news sources and different tactics they use. My research has shown the incredibly strong bias that the media has. To get a full grasp of the biases I had to use source diversity. My sources ranged from social media, to television, to web-based articles. Through my research, I discovered the effective and prevalent uses of loaded language, social media, sensationalism, bias in quotes, and the role of gatekeepers in media.

There are newspapers (such as the “National Enquirer”) renowned for their fictitious (although admittedly attention-grabbing) headlines, yet we hardly hesitate to assume the information is fabricated. On the other hand, when our trusted news sources present their stories, many automatically assume the information is true, which is why “[e]rroneous reporting by established organizations is a bigger threat than

To understand what state the modern media system is in, one must firmly understand what bias is. Media bias is present “when a political belief or commercial interest distorts the level of reporting” (“Media Bias” 1). If a political station provides positive or accurate information to only one side, then the station can be considered biased. Another form of bias is known as sensationalism. Sensationalism is the creation of panic or fear by over-reporting or over-inflating individual news stories, often blurring facts or reporting speculation as facts. A modern and familiar example of media

In today¡¦s society journalism is under close scrutiny and is losing its credibility. Sensationalism effects both those who receive it in addition to those who report it. This essay will review the history of sensationalism in the media, clearly demonstrate how sensationalism effects ours views on journalism, and confront the ethical dilemmas that journalists must face between reporting objectively and reporting what sells. This will be accomplished by investigating various sources, including articles published on the Internet as well as those published in newspapers and magazines.