Journalism or Sensationalism?

Monday’s Arizona Daily Star ran an eye catching headline entitled “American is focus in Krentz killing”. Wow, what a turn around in events for the investigation and a boon for the Star’s attack on the new immigration laws recently passed in Arizona. However, the Star ran a retraction on the front page today saying that the use of the word American was incorrect and that the original article said the suspect was believed to be in the United States. The Star’s retraction goes on to say that the original was changed to “American” in the editing process. A definition of journalism suggests that it is “the style of writing characteristic of material in newspapers and magazines, consisting of direct presentation of facts or occurrences with little attempt at analysis or interpretation.” Note the operative words “consisting of direct presentation of facts or occurrences with little attempt at analysis or interpretation”. Now we look up the definition for sensationalism and lo and behold what do we see?

Definitions of sensationalism on the Web:

• subject matter that is calculated to excite and please vulgar tastes
• the journalistic use of subject matter that appeals to vulgar tastes; "the tabloids relied on sensationalism to maintain their circulation"

Now you all tell me, does the article as written by Brady McCombs in the Star, fall in the category of “journalism” or is it “sensationalism”?

Maybe we all need to take what we read in the Star with a “grain of salt”. What say ye?