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Sensationalism is a type of editorial bias in mass media in which events and topics in news stories and pieces are over-hyped to present biased impressions on events which may cause a manipulation to a story's truth.〔("Issue Area: Sensationalism." ) (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting ). Accessed June 2011.〕 Sensationalism may include reporting about generally insignificant matters and events that don't influence overall society and biased presentations of newsworthy topics in a trivial or tabloid manner contrary to the standards of professional journalism.〔〔 Some tactics include being deliberately obtuse,〔("Sensationalism." ) (Merriam-Webster Dictionary ). Accessed June 2011.〕 appealing to emotions,〔("Sensationalism." ) (Thefreedictionary.com ). Accessed June 2011.〕 being controversial, intentionally omitting facts and information,〔("Issue Area: Narrow Range of Debate." ) (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting ). Accessed June 2011.〕 being loud and self-centered and acting to obtain attention.〔 Trivial information and events are sometimes misrepresented and exaggerated as important or significant, and often includes stories about the actions of individuals and small groups of people,〔 the content of which is often insignificant and irrelevant relative to the macro-level day-to-day events that occur globally. Furthermore, the content and subject matter typically doesn't affect the lives of the masses〔 and doesn't affect society, and instead is broadcast and printed to attract viewers and readers.〔 Examples include press coverage about the Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal,〔〔(The Epoch of Clinton, So Close Yet So Far ) Accessed September 2012〕〔(Monica Lewinsky back in spotlight with PBS' two-part 'Clinton' ). Accessed September 2012〕 Casey Anthony Trial,〔〔(Casey Anthony trial: Media frenzy at new heights ) Accessed 2012〕 Tonya Harding's role in the attack of Nancy Kerrigan,〔〔(Incredible news: tabloids meet news. (tabloid news sensationalism) Incredible news: tabloids meet news. (tabloid news sensationalism) ) Accessed September 2012〕 the Elian Gonzalez affair〔〔(Elian Gonzalez and "The Purpose of America": Nation, Family, and the Child-Citizen ) September 2012〕 and the O.J. Simpson murder case.〔〔(The Five Hardest Lessons from the O.J. Trial ) Accessed September 2012〕 == In mass media == One presumed goal of sensational reporting is to increase or sustain viewership or readership, from which media outlets can price their advertising higher to increase their profits based on higher numbers of viewers and/or readers.〔("What's Wrong With The News?" ) (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting ). Accessed June 2011.〕〔("Issue Area: Advertiser Influence." ) (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting ). Accessed June 2011.〕 Sometimes this can lead to a lesser focus on objective journalism in favor of a profit motive,〔 in which editorial choices are based upon sensational stories and presentations to increase advertising revenue.〔(Sensationalism, Newspaper Profits and the Marginal Value of Watergate ) Accessed September 2012〕 Additionally, advertisers tend to have a preference for their products or services to be reported positively in mass media, which can contribute to bias in news reporting in favor of media outlets protecting their profits and revenues, rather than reporting objectively about stated products and services.〔〔("Issue Area: Censorship." ) (Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting ). Accessed June 2011.〕 However, newspapers have a duty to report and investigate stories related to political corruption. Such investigative journalism is right and proper when it is backed up with documents, interviews with responsible witnesses, and other primary sources. Journalists and editors are often accused of sensationalizing scandals by those whose public image is harmed by the legitimate reporting of the scandal. News organizations are not obliged to (and are often ethically obliged ''not'' to) avoid stories that might make local, state and national public figures uncomfortable. Occasionally, news organizations mistakenly relay false information from unreliable anonymous sources, who use mass media as a tool for retaliation, defamation, victim and witness tampering, and monetary or personal gain. Therefore, any story based on sources who may be reasonably assumed to be motivated to act in this way is best interpreted with critical thinking. In extreme cases, mass media may only report information which makes a "good story", without regard for factual accuracy or social relevance. It has been argued that the distrust in government that showed in the aftermath of the Watergate scandal created a new business tactic for the media and resulted in the spread of negative, dishonest and misleading news coverage of American politics;〔〔 such examples include the labeling of a large number of political scandals, regardless of their importance, with the suffix "-gate"〔(Watergate scandal changed the political landscape forever ) Accessed September 2012〕 Such stories are often perceived (rightfully, or mistakenly) as politically partisan or biased towards or against a group or individual due to the sensational nature in which they are reported. A media piece may report on a political figure in a biased way or present one side of an issue while deriding another. It may include sensational aspects such as zealots, doomsayers and/or junk science. Complex subjects and affairs are often subject to sensationalism. Exciting and emotionally charged aspects can be drawn out without providing the elements needed (such as pertinent background, investigative, or contextual information) for the audience to form its own opinions on the subject. Mass media occasionally uses a comedic website as a source, then mistakenly relays the joke as news, without any factual checks. One widely reported example involved The Onion's story on Harry Potter.〔http://www.snopes.com/humor/iftrue/potter.asp Snopes: Harry Potter Satanism〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「sensationalism」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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