- Sensationalism is the act of foregoing accuracy or dignity in order to capture headlines or public attention.
An example of sensationalism is a magazine that follows celebrities around and often exaggerates or makes up stories about those celebrities to sell papers.
- the use of strongly emotional subject matter, or wildly dramatic style, language, or artistic expression, that is intended to shock, startle, thrill, excite, etc.
- preoccupation with or exploitation of what is sensational in literature, art, etc.
- Philos. the belief that all knowledge is acquired through the use of the senses
- a. The use of sensational matter or methods, especially in writing, journalism, or politics.b. Sensational subject matter.c. Interest in or the effect of such subject matter.
- Philosophy The theory that sensation is the only source of knowledge.
- The ethical doctrine that feeling is the only criterion of good.
- The use of sensational subject matter, style or methods, or the sensational subject matter itself; behavior, published materials, or broadcasts that are intentionally controversial, exaggerated, lurid, loud, or attention-grabbing. Especially applied to news media in a pejorative sense that they are reporting in a manner to gain audience or notoriety but at the expense of accuracy and professionalism.
- (philosophy) A theory of philosophy that all knowledge is ultimately derived from the senses.
From sensational +"Ž -ism.