sensationalize
/sɛnˈseɪʃənəlʌɪz
/(also sensationalise)
verb [with object]
(Especially of a newspaper) present information about (something) in a sensational way: the papers want to sensationalize the tragedy that my family has suffered...
- So a month later, the world press catches wind of the story and sensationalizes the hell out of it.
- Romantic comedies are sensationalized stories of an idealized world, where everyone is always falling in love, but never falling out of love.
- The mainstream media - whether it is newspapers, television broadcasts, or radio - sensationalises its news stories because news-as-entertainment sells, and the public demands it.