Sensational Journalism has become part of the mainstream

Perhaps in a desire to keep readers, national newspaper have apparently become more sensational and personal - or is it something else? Personallly I don't know.

But

Sensationalism, over-simplification and "emotionalisation"'. Research commissioned by Die Zeit , the country's leading weekly newspaper, finds that its Fleet Street counterparts are replacing reasoned analysis with emotive reporting, spattering news coverage with first-person accounts, and employing ever-more dramatic language.

However....

Die Zeit's survey demonstrates that the British press continues to hold a unique fascination for foreigners. But the paper's UK correspondent, Jurgen Kronig, concedes that trends found by the research are evident in other countries, including his own. 'It's happening everywhere. The industry is governed by the same needs and laws.' Even German titles like Die Welt and the heavyweight Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung are not immune.

So what's the point? Is the point that Carma the research agency have used their own sensational headline to get publicity for their research? Should we be questioning where our press standards are going? Or, should we be saying that this is a last gasp of clinging to our familiar analogue world as the the digital one rises before us, in all its rude glory?

Funny, its only through the blogging and writing and reading that I for one think first, hmmm interesting article, then go, hmmm no its not because its motives are not clear.

Comments

[Paul Jardine]

It's a true statement on the UK press (with dwindling exceptions). In general they are not interested in reporting news, but more interested in whipping up public outrage.
If they can lead public discussion along an exclusive storyline, then they milk it till it's dry.
In some cases this is a good thing, as it frequently causes action to be taken where none would have been. However, the public response is usually guided by the stories and the press make them deliberately emotional and not based on a logical argument. There is often public over-reaction which can be damaging and lead to actions being taken where none SHOULD have been.
In the battle for attention, the only thing that grabs us is an over-dramatic, extreme opinion, not a reasoned argument, so we all know how to get attention.

Thanks Paul for the comment.

It sounds like a redundent ploy to me. How much longer do we want this as a public?

A free society is an informed and open society. I am not sure the traditional media is performing its role as it should.

Many thanks for posting

Alan