Katie Newport and Stephanie Carlson
Sensationspeak
is the art of
making every event, person,
place or idea seem much more
exciting, horrifying etc. than it
really is by using artful diction,
syntax and punctuation.
 Sensationspeak
is
probably best known
as the language used
in tabloid magazines
such as the National
Enquirer or Star
Magazine.
 These magazines are
commonly found in
supermarket
checkout lines, and
are colloquially
known as ‘rags’.
Sensationspeak
is creeping into
other forms of media, such as
newspapers, magazines,
internet and television!!!

Despite this fact, tabloid magazines are still the
most frequent users of sensationspeak, though
the conversion to other media is frightening.
 News
is less ‘pure’
and more prone to
bias or
misinforming
readers.
 Readers ‘know’
what the media
wants them to
know.
 Sensationspeak
writers use
rhetorical
strategies to draw
the reader into
specific frames of
thought. Once the
reader is drawn in,
there is no going
back.
 In
the 1960’s,
tabloids were
made publicfriendly began to
be sold in
supermarkets,
with whom the
tabloids had
established
lucrative deals.
 Tabloid
Magazines
often use catchy
titles like this one
to initially draw in
readers.
 Titles sound
unbelievable and
include excess
punctuation to tell
the reader to feel
excitement/fear/
etc.
Sensationspeak writers include lots of pictures to
draw the readers’ attention and give credibility.
 Tabloids
keep their
language simple
and their ideas
concrete. They
imply nothing.
Each sentence has
an absolutely
certain meaning.
 “In
the long run
only he will
achieve basic
results in
influencing public
opinion who is
able to reduce
problems to the
simplest terms.”
-Joseph Goebbels
 Tabloids
often cite
the evidence of
psychics, who
accredited with
numerous pieces
of evidence to
prove their story.
 Experts are also
brought in to
agree with the
psychics’ findings
 Sensationalists
write as
omniscient
narrators, who
know everything.
This gives the
reader trust in
their narrator.
 Contrary
to
popular belief,
tabloid magazines
are not all lies.
The language they
use contains true
statements, but
with false
assumptions.
 Tabloids
also
increased the
readership by
focusing on
celebrities and
public figures,
publishing
testimonials from
celebrities as well
as stories about
them.
 These
work on the
reader by making
real life feel more
exciting.
 “A morsel of
dessert after a
bland meal.”
- Roy F. Fox
 The
idea that
celebrities are not
perfect, something
that tabloids dwell
on, makes readers
feel good about
themselves, and
that their ways of
life are justifiable.
 In
the end,
tabloids always
use optimistic
language, which
receives better
response from
readers than
negative language.
 The
goal of
tabloids is not to
make you believe
everything they
say.
 The goal of the
tabloid is to give
the reader an idea
that will hopefully
encourage a
desired mindset.
 Because
Sensationspeak is
being picked up by
other forms of
media, other
forms of media are
using the same
strategy to
encourage a
certain mindset in
their audiences.
 Sensationspeak
makes the audience
senseless.
 Acclimates them to sensational news so that
they will take the media interpretation
immediately
 This makes us more prone to believe
whatever we are told by media sources.
 Even if these ideas are contradictory.
Surprised you there, didn’t we?

Citizens take the
media’s word at full
value, never
questioning what the
media says, even if
the media makes two
statements that are
completely
irreconcileable.
1984

Sensationspeak trains
us to believe what
the media tells us, no
matter how
outrageous or
unbelievable the
claims may seem, or
how outside of
common logic they
are.
Sensationspeak

The headlines spoken
by the telescreen,
though often not
quoted directly, often
gives us the
impression of
Sensationspeak.

“Vast strategic
maneuver- perfect
co-ordination utter
rout-half a million
prisoners-complete
demoralizationcontrol of the whole
of Africa-bring the
war within
measurable distance
of its end-victorygreatest victory in
human historyvictory, victory,
victory!”