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"Do most stations do a good job of cutting down on sensationalism in the way they
report stories or present their newscasts, or is this an area where they need to
improve?"
The second biggest complaint in this survey, 45% of the viewers feel this another issue on
which most stations need to improve. Most of them (26%) feel strongly about it,
particularly men, 35-64s, and those living along the West Coast.
 What Viewers Really Say
about Sensationalism
Many viewers feel very strongly about wanting newscasts which are free of
sensational news coverage and promotion. Their most frequent objection is simply the
perception that these types of stories aren't factual — they're filled with
"rumors, innuendo, gossip, misleading information, hearsay, hype." They also say
such stories aren't interesting or relevant to their everyday lives, and in many cases
aren't even newsworthy. In fact, many feel they're totally inappropriate within the
framework of a local newscast. "To me, it lessens their credibility, it makes it seem
more [like] entertainment than news."
Parents in particular often worry about impressionable children being exposed to so many
examples of "poor behavior," specifically naming O. J. Simpson and President
Clinton (among others). "By glamorizing police chases, etc., it seems to me they
might be encouraging it by allowing them 15 minutes of fame...They bombarded us so
continuously with [Columbine School shooting] coverage that now you have copycats."
Viewers feel that nothing good comes from reporting news in a "tabloid" manner,
saying its destructive effects include exploitation of innocent victims, the exacerbation
of existing problems, the encouragement of bad behavior, invasion of privacy, a lack of
journalistic integrity, and just general negativity. As if most stories aren't bad enough
on their own merits, these viewers feel that many stations have a tendency to "blow
it up," and then keep repeating it and promoting it. "It's not professional.
There's no dignity to it anymore...It's all about how much gore you can possibly get into
a half-hour...It's cheap."
When asked why this is such a passionate issue for them, viewers offer the following
observations:
News Should Be Factual — "Focus on what the facts are...It should be facts,
not television drama...A lot of it's not based on 100% fact. Some of it might be true, but
a lot of it's innuendo or suggestive truth, but not absolute truth...I don't trust
sensationalism as being accurate...News is facts, and tabloid is not facts. It hasn't been
proven either/or...In the old days, they had the facts. Who, what, when, where, why. Maybe
that's not exciting, but that's what I'm really looking for...It spreads misinformation
and hearsay, and people come up with the wrong conclusions and sometimes act on the wrong
things...Don't bring personality into it...I can't see any reason why they should
broadcast anything but the absolute truth. And if they're embellishing it with their own
agenda, and not telling the truth about it, then they shouldn't be on there...You listen
to the news to hear the facts about what's happened, not to get a sensational
broadcast...Before they find out exactly what the story is, they're already reporting it.
They get maybe half the story, and then have to retract a week or two later."
News Should Be Relevant — "Is it something I need to know or not? If it's
gossip, rumors or sensationalism, I don't need to know. Give me the facts. We don't care
what those people's lives are like. I don't care what they do in their own personal
life...If it's not talking about my community, or weather, or something around me, I don't
wanna hear it. Information about other people's lives is not important...Sensationalism
isn't news, it might as well be a soap opera...They run stuff that's not really news, it's
just sad or heartbreaking, and they use it to draw viewers...It's hype, and it's gossip,
and it's rumor, and doesn't serve any positive purpose for anybody...It's not newsworthy.
It's trying to turn fiction into truth, and you're not getting to the meat of the story,
you're just getting fluff...Most of the things don't really matter...I just don't feel
[sensationalism] has a place in the news. It's not the appropriate thing to be brought
out...I used to appreciate the news when it was really news. The types of things that were
important to know. Now, I mostly read the paper for the news...Especially in New York
City, they really do sensationalize the news. It's so sensational, it has nothing to do
with my life at all...I want the real story, what goes on in real, everyday life with real
people, no gossip column."
I Really Resent All the Hype — "They should eliminate it because they're
journalists, and they should leave that to the tabloids. We should get a balanced view
of what's going on...They're there to report the news, and most reasoning people
don't really want the news reported in a tabloid way...They don't just report the news,
they put a spin on it to try to sensationalize it...It doesn't need to be on the local
news...They hype a lot of things, and I've found some of it quite distorted. I've seen
them take things out of context and change it around to look like more than it is...It's
all hyped up, especially about the actors and actresses. I don't really believe what they
say. It's just all scandal...There's just too much hype over certain things. A murder is a
tragedy. Instead of reporting, it's more like it's ratings driven...Report the news as it
is, don't try to put their own twist on it...They blow it up and run trash stuff."
I Feel Exploited by Misleading Promotion — "They made it out to be some big
ol' thing and it's not. They made everybody stay up 'til the 11:00 newscast, and it was
just an itty-bitty blurb...They advertise things in a way when they're trying to get
people to watch that misleads them as to the importance of the story."
Sensationalism Only Makes Problems Worse — "I don't think the negative
aspect of society has to be pointed out, especially as a role model for behavior for
children...The Colorado incident gives teenagers ideas...If it's a crime, it makes it
worse...They exploit people and give our children the impression that if they do something
wrong instead of something good, they're gonna make headlines...If it's a crime, it makes
it worse...They broadcast [certain stories] for 3-4 days and bombard us continuously with
it, so now you have copycats."
Repetition Adds to the Sensationalism — "For 2-3 days at a time, they run
the same thing over and over...They overemphasize things, and report it TOO much...They
shouldn't be on fifteen times a day with `Joe Blow hasn't got the chair yet,' and they
recreate the scene over and over and over again constantly...It's harmful to everybody to
keep publishing things. The President should've been fired. It was all over television for
a MONTH...It has more of a negative effect because of the way they build things up. They
dwell on it too long."
It Makes Stations Seem Less Professional — "To me, it lessens their
credibility. It makes it seem more like entertainment as opposed to a news story...There
are other shows that do tabloid stuff, it doesn't have to be on the news...Like the
William Shatner story that came out recently about his wife drowning? Where they played
the 911 tape? That was sensationalism, that wasn't really necessary...The newscasters seem
more like entertainers than newscasters...It's news that says everyone out there has an IQ
of 10. It also reinforces people's fascination with that which is superficial."
Sensationalism Shows a Lack of Sensitivity — "It's how much gore can you
possibly get in, in a half-hour or an hour? Like the gory stuff you see when they put on a
wreck. I wouldn't want my family, if they were in a wreck, to be shown all over...When the
media reports things, they should consider family feelings first before they announce it.
My niece was killed in a car accident. It's not too pleasant to see it on TV before you
know it happened...They'll harp on the crying people. Why interview these people that're
in agony, even if they say it's okay? That's not what viewers are looking for."
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