sensationalism
noun
sen·sa·tion·al·ism sen-ˈsā-shnə-ˌli-zəm 
-shə-nə-ˌli-zəm
1
: empiricism that limits experience as a source of knowledge to sensation or sense perceptions
2
: the use or effect of sensational subject matter or treatment
sensationalist
sen-ˈsā-shnə-list
adjective or noun sensationalistic
sen-ˌsā-shnə-ˈli-stik
adjective -shə-nə-ˈlis-tik
Example Sentences
The network was accused of sensationalism in its reporting.
Recent Examples on the Web In contrast to the lurid sensationalism of Hulu’s other recent docuseries about a trendy millennial brand (at this rate, can a searing exposé on Juicy Couture be far behind?), this one is ambitious in scope and sober in tone. 
Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 July 2022 But what should have been a quiet inquiry by district-level authorities soon turned into public sensationalism. Aarefa Johari, Quartz, 3 Feb. 2022 When does bracing shock become deadening sensationalism? Nicole Tung, Harper’s Magazine , 16 May 2022 At the same time, celebrity suicides often receive outsized attention from media organizations, quickly leading to sensationalism, and sometimes inadvertently causing more deaths. Alia E. Dastagir, USA TODAY, 3 May 2022 Cozy mysteries give you the benefits of more uncomfortable mysteries — the suspense, the puzzles — without the gore, the sensationalism, the foregrounded perversity. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2022 With its bland and faux-universal life lessons that cheaply ethicalize expensive sensationalism, the film comes off as a sickly cynical feature-length directorial pitch reel for a Marvel movie. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2022 Thurston said claims Williams has made in his bid for the office are misleading and that his campaign is based on sensationalism and hearsay. Rachel Herzog, Arkansas Online, 24 Apr. 2022 While the dramas prioritize sensationalism, the comedies challenge their heroines’ perspective to incisive effect. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2022 See More
Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 July 2022 But what should have been a quiet inquiry by district-level authorities soon turned into public sensationalism. Aarefa Johari, Quartz, 3 Feb. 2022 When does bracing shock become deadening sensationalism? Nicole Tung, Harper’s Magazine , 16 May 2022 At the same time, celebrity suicides often receive outsized attention from media organizations, quickly leading to sensationalism, and sometimes inadvertently causing more deaths. Alia E. Dastagir, USA TODAY, 3 May 2022 Cozy mysteries give you the benefits of more uncomfortable mysteries — the suspense, the puzzles — without the gore, the sensationalism, the foregrounded perversity. Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2022 With its bland and faux-universal life lessons that cheaply ethicalize expensive sensationalism, the film comes off as a sickly cynical feature-length directorial pitch reel for a Marvel movie. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 24 Mar. 2022 Thurston said claims Williams has made in his bid for the office are misleading and that his campaign is based on sensationalism and hearsay. Rachel Herzog, Arkansas Online, 24 Apr. 2022 While the dramas prioritize sensationalism, the comedies challenge their heroines’ perspective to incisive effect. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1