Sensationalism has always existed in media, but in the digital age, it has evolved from a technique for pulling people into a normalized tactic aimed at getting more attention from people. What once functioned as a device to gain traction has now replaced substance itself, turning journalism into a competition of who can provoke faster than explain better.
According to an article by SQ Magazine, the average human attention span has declined to 8.25 seconds in 2025, down from 9.2 seconds in 2022. That single number explains more about modern media than any newsroom culture could. In a landscape where seconds decide relevance, journalism has learned to shout before it thinks, to stun before informing.
At its core, sensationalism thrives on distortion. Headlines are sharpened until they strip away all context. Images are selected not for accuracy but for emotional impact that would pull the reader in more. The audience is not invited to understand an issue but rather to feel something. To be angry, shocked, or any emotion that will prompt a response.
This is how journalism begins to rot quietly if not prevented. Not through obvious lies, but through calculated manipulation. With titles and messages that say one thing loudly and explanations in small text softly justifying them. If left unchecked, this practice turns journalism into a performance, aimed at shoving information at the public and leaving them to piece together a coherent understanding of something that should have been clear in the first place.
Sensationalism feeds on the idea that attention is the same as impact. It is not. Attention is shallow and could disappear at any given moment. Impact requires trust, and trust needs restraint. If for example, a person is screaming at me constantly that I should trust them, I think that most people will agree with me that they will be less welcoming to the person pushing themselves to be a trustworthy person.
There is something deeply human that is being exploited in this process. The tendency of humans to feel before we think. Sensationalism weaponizes that instinct, turning readers into instruments rather than participants. It treats the public not as people who deserve clarity, but as engagements and numbers to be collected as followers.
The tragedy here is that journalism does not need this. Stories are already compelling because reality is. Injustice does not require exaggeration. Information does not need to be dragged out across multiple stories. Truth, when handled with skill and honesty, carries its own weight.
Journalism must choose substance over spectacle, giving readers understanding instead of instant shock. Respecting the audience is not optional; it is the backbone of credibility, a foundational truth of journalism.
Once journalism abandons its beliefs, it loses the right to be trusted. Attention can come and go, and noise can die out and return louder, but credibility and trust—once gone—cannot easily be reclaimed.
Written by Ash Malig, Insight PH
Ash Malig, Insight PH is a dedicated campus journalist and contributor. Their insightful writing sparks meaningful conversations and keeps the community informed.
