ABSTRACT
Celebrity journalism is merely a variant of sensationalism, and it has always been fodder for the media. Critics of the sensational approach in both nineteenth-century and contemporary journalism focus their attacks on the overemphasis on violence and sex, as well as the inflation of trivial events with prominent placement in the newspaper or broadcast and extended coverage. As a legitimate form of journalism, sensational coverage can attract audiences who might not read "more erudite journals", its defenders insist. The history of sensationalism depends on the definition of the concept. The focus of nineteenth-century newspapers on sensational topics often resulted in overemphasis of the trivial at the expense of placing important details in a proper context. The most cited motive for sensational coverage was profit, particularly with the circulation wars between metropolitan newspapers in the penny press and yellow journalism periods. One major aspect of sensationalism, was celebrity and gossip writing.
