In need of an audience: Sensationalism in Dutch Public Service News and Current Affairs Programs in the 1990's

Abstract

In this paper we discuss a number of questions concerning the more or less sensationalist character of PSB news and current affairs programs in the Netherlands over the past decades. First, three categories of sensationalist stories are distinguished, which are connected to theoretical ideas of human evolution and theories of information processing. Second, theoretical effects of sensationalism on audience ratings, as well as on information processing, are discussed. Third, studies on trends in sensationalism are discussed in the Netherlands and abroad, with a special focus on public broadcasting. Finally, some guiding principles for future PSB news and current affairs programs are formulated.