Sensationalism in news-An insight

As a child, I never used to listen to news, more so due to the reason that they are so depressing and the headlines are filled with sensationalism. I mean the news from the conventional media that give information on stories that are painful and disheartening. Moreover, the tone of the news is such that it sends across a picture of bleak future. When I turn on the newspaper or listen to television news, I mainly hear about natural disasters, heinous crimes, celebrity scandals etc. For sensitive people like me, I realized that I am feeding in a lot of negative information.

However, with the passage of time, I understood the importance of reading news from reliable sources, that can provide unbiased information. But I never made it a habit to read or listen to news at a fixed time and never made it a hobby. I accept that I have to be updated with what is happening around the world, but the way the headlines and content are being sensationalized is definitely not acceptable by me.

Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries defines sensationalism as “a way of getting people’s interest by using words that are intended to shock you or by presenting facts and events as worse or more shocking than they really are”

Is the main aim of the headline to raise apprehension and fear in the minds of the people? Definitely no. The idea that good news should be dramatic should be moderated to a considerable extent such that it doesn’t become too sensational. For example, there should definitely be a tinge of dramatic nature in some news. When we hear news about people succeeding after winning in different walks of life, we get highly inspired. That is not something to be criticized. All I say is that there should not be too much exaggeration, especially in negative news, which will be found a smart audience.

Knowledge is power indeed. But the way it is being delivered should not be so depressing that we decide to stop gaining it at all. Let not the news create fear; instead it be formed in such a way that it creates educational value in a gentle fashion.

Instead of thinking about increasing the rating and readership, let the news channels and newspapers think about providing educational value in an informed manner. In that way, we gain immense knowledge, which is indeed power. My perception about the media has changed not because of the news itself but because of the sensationalism it creates. I don’t want any exaggerated news; I just now that are genuine, reliable, unbiased and authentic. Trust me..I am a highly empathetic person. And people like me and you should confirm that the news is not misleading in any way.

One Thought to “Sensationalism in news-An insight”

  1. Ankita Thapliyal

    When there is a lift, there is a drag. Anything which proves to be advantageous today can also prove to be fatal tomorrow. Once upon a time, news was considered the most pious form of information source, but unfortunately today it is the most disgusting stuff, and this transition is due to modernization all over the world. Only thing we people and people around us can do is to gain information from those news channels and newspapers which consist of reliable information and which is true to some extent. And thanks once again Lalitha for producing another exemplary content……keep doing it…..

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