Sensationalism



=“Exaggeration of every kind is as essential to journalism as it is to dramatic art, for the object of journalism is to make events go as far as possible”= These were the words of German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. The word exaggeration when used in the world of journalism is often referenced to a form of journalism known as Sensationalism. Sensationalism as a term used in journalism is basically a form of writing that exaggerates the truth in order to increase readership. In this day in age most Americans are more likely to read a story with a little action or a taste of "Exaggerated Truth", while stories with the actual truth may seem a bit boring. This is an effective tool in journalism because of the fact that it is an example of how young journalists can increse their number of reader. Now I'm not saying that you should go out and exaggerate every little piece of everything you write about, but maybe you should just keep this term in the back of your mind as a [|fail- fail-safe]. An issue that comes up when sensationalism is mentioned is the fact that its not the truth. To some readers, it gives a sense of comfort knowing that what you are reading is in fact the truth, but at the same time some readers enjoy a little lie here and there to spice up a story. The only instance where I can see sensationalism being a horrible thing is if one were to over-exaggerate the truth... that may pose to be a problem. Sensationalism was first coined by a the creater of the penny press, Benjamin Day. He once even printed a story which he said could prove that there was life on the moon. This is an example of what I would call over-exaggeration. I cannot speak for all of you fellow journalists out there or tell you whether it right or wrong, but I know that if my back is agaist the wall and I absolutely need readers, I am definitely going to consider "Exaggeration." It is up to you as a writer to decide whether you should use this sometimes effective form of journalism or not...