SENSATIONALISM IN MEDIA AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Sensationalism is a type of editorial bias in mass media in which events and topics in news stories and
pieces are overhyped to present biased impressions on events, which may cause a manipulation to the
truth of a story.One presumed goal of sensational reporting is to increase or sustain viewership or
readership, from which media outlets can price their advertising higher to increase their profits based on
higher numbers of viewers and/or readers.The information age has ushered in a shifting media
landscape. Traditional news outlets now have to compete with new media and we can see a steady
decline in the size of newsrooms as well as the budgets needed to ensure responsible reporting on
international events. Reporters who do work on the ground often put their lives on the line to report on
conflicts and human rights abuses.Sensationalism is used to bring out fear within people and the
constant questions of who can be trusted and who can’t. With the uprise of sensationalism, social media
in particular has become a beacon for negativity and hate.Approximately 1.32 billion people in the world
are at chance of falling into the trap of sensationalism. Overall this means that sensationalism was bound
to peak with the rest of the technological advancements.Social media has become a platform for more
than just sharing images, it has developed into a way for people to anonymously threaten other users. A
way for harassment and bullying to spike and for ridicule and hate to persevere.

Sensationalism can be found everywhere one looks in terms of social media because people
are able to sensationalize actions and instances that would have originally been small and irrelevant but
were blown into something far more complex and severe.Certain questions often come to mind when
we think about the terms sensationalism in retrospect to social media. One of these questions being
what is it about the sensationalism of darker media that draws human attention? The answer to this
question is still unknown but some say it has to do with the growth of sensationalism.The realm of
media, social media in particular, is challenging in understanding the overall development of
sensationalism but that factor is not key.

The role of media in highlighting the acts of commission, omission, abetment and
negligence of the State and its agencies, which result in rights violations, is indispensible to the work of
the Commission. There have been several instances when media has acted as an agent for constructive
change and notable developments within human rights jurisprudence.Media is very powerful but 'with
great power comes great responsibilities' also.Indian Constitution provide the broad framework of rights
and responsibilities that the media must actively speak to operate within.