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Belinda Ng, Lee Choon Kiat (12S68) Too much sensationalism, not enough sense.

Do you agree with this assessment of the mass media today? In today s society journalism is under close scrutiny and is losing its credibility due to the fact that sensationalism continues to remain a strong force in current mass media, a cancer afflicting nearly all commercial media providers. I feel that while there have been a proliferation of sensationalist articles and reports in the mass media today, there are still some media outlets that provide thought-provoking, factually accurate content that are sensible. On the surface, there seems to be some truth in this assessment, the mass media is publishing too much sensationalism. We see news articles about generally insignificant matters and events that don't influence overall society and biased presentations of newsworthy topics. Such news are able to attract readers as sensational contents, such as gossip tabloids on Bill Clinton/Monica Lewinsky scandal and murder cases such as the O.J. Simpson Murder Case are able appeal to the readers and viewers. Sensible news topics that serve importance and purpose simply do not capture the readers and viewers attention. The most newsworthy aspects of the stories are bound to be emphasized by the media. Moreover, there has been a lot of competition between mass media companies, this increasing competition has given to the rise of sensationalism. Sensationalism seems to be a way for newsmakers to fight for the attention of the audience. The media is mostly profit-driven and given that such sensational headlines are able to attract more readers and viewers to buy their newspapers or watch their news telecast, they are bound to continue publishing these biased articles. Thus, neglecting the real news that make sense in the society. One example of such companies is the Shin Min Wan Bao, a Chinese newspaper that publishes mostly tabloids and scandals. In my opinion, recent breakthroughs in technology are the root cause in the recent proliferation of such sensationalist articles. Recent technological advances such as the integration of computers into the newspaper printing process in the 1970s has allowed for huge decreases in the cost of newspapers and other media. This, coupled with the rise in education levels in most developed countries, has resulted in nuanced, but crucial shifts in the target audience of newspapers. No longer are newspapers an unattainable luxury product only available to the upper classes of society they now have to cater to the masses, who can now afford to consume news media regularly, but might not have a comparable level of education. Thus, due to reduced requirements for factual accuracy and social relevance in the content of news articles, news are often over-hyped in a bid to attract readers, resulting in the recent escalation in sensationalist media . However, for the members of the public who hunger for the ability to consume thoughtful, competent media, all is not lost. While, in extreme cases, some news might be selected based solely on whether or not it will make a good story even when it might be erroneous or misleading, there are still newspapers and journalists that remain committed to producing articles that provide insightful analysis. One striking example is ProPublica, an independent, non-profit newsroom that aims to produce investigative journalism in the public interest. By remaining non-partisan, nonideological, and relatively free from influence from commercial concerns due to large amounts of philanthropic aid, it has been able to fulfil its aim of delivering objective news that is made to be as

Belinda Ng, Lee Choon Kiat (12S68) accurate as possible. Possessing two Pulizter Prizes to date, ProPublica could be a viable alternative to the wildly sensationalist media today. CONCLUSION It is obvious that there are both sensationalist and sensible stories in mass media. Media companies are not about to make this change out of altruism. While the mainstream media and social networking are at fault in this round of sensationalism, they are simply doing their job. These corporations exist only to make a profit, and will continue to feed us exactly what we ask for in the news. Thus, the onus lies on readers to make smart choices and create a culture of discernment when it comes to media. With readily available alternatives to commercialised media such as ProPublica that offer more news and less entertainment than the mainstream, it is not necessary for one to only be restricted to the huge deluge of sensationalist media. Too much sensationalism, not enough sense, while not necessarily a representative description of the media today, is definitely true for the majority, and it is the onus of readers to choose wisely and spurn sensationalism in favour of quality reporting.

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