What Makes Something Newsworthy vs Just Sensational

What Makes Something Newsworthy vs Just Sensational?

We live in a world where headlines scream for attention. Open your phone, and you’ll be bombarded with wild stories, from celebrity breakups to conspiracy theories about aliens running the government. Some of these stories blow up overnight and disappear just as fast. Others linger because they matter. But then can we ask ourselves the question, what really separates newsworthy from just sensational? I have thought a lot about this lately, especially while working on a recent story about a young Nigerian man who left home at 23 to start over in Dubai. His journey was tough, inspiring, and full of lessons. It wasn’t flashy or dramatic, but it was real, and I’d argue, very newsworthy. So, here’s my take: newsworthiness is about impact, relevance, and truth. Sensationalism is about clicks.

A story is newsworthy if it changes how people see the world or how they live in it. It might be about a policy shift, a powerful human interest story, or a local crisis. These stories inform, empower, and sometimes even spark change. For example, when a new law is passed that affects immigration or healthcare, that’s news. When a young migrant overcomes huge odds to build a new life and wants to give back, that’s news too. It tells us something deeper about the human experience. Sensational stories, on the other hand, often don’t do that. They might be entertaining or shocking, but they rarely leave you with anything useful or lasting. A celebrity’s wardrobe malfunction? Probably won’t change your day or your perspective.

Now can we be more real with ourselves? Emotions drive engagement. Outrage, shock, even gossip, these things are addictive. Sensational headlines are designed to grab you quickly: “You won’t believe what happened next!” Or “This one photo will change how you see everything!”

But usually, when you click through, the story is thin. It’s surface-level, exaggerated, and built to stir up attention more than understanding.

News, on the other hand, takes work. It asks questions, offers context, and tells you why something matters, even if it’s not as flashy.

There’s nothing wrong with entertainment, we all need a break sometimes. But when everything is treated like breaking news, we lose our ability to tell what actually matters. A good news story gives you something to think about. It might make you feel empathy, learn something new, or see a side of the world you hadn’t before. That’s value.

Sensational stories often fade as fast as they came. They fill up our feeds but don’t stay with us. They’re noise, and in today’s world, we don’t need more of that.

Here’s what I ask myself each time I come across any story on the internet:

• Is this story helping someone understand an issue better?
• Does it affect real people in a meaningful way?
• Would I still care about this story tomorrow or a week from now?
• Is it respectful, accurate, and based in fact, not just hype?

If the answer is yes, it’s probably newsworthy.

My final thoughts are, in a time when everyone’s competing for your attention, it’s easy to fall into the trap of headlines that scream louder but say less. But real journalism, real stories, still matters. Newsworthiness isn’t about how loud a story is. It’s about how deep it goes, how true it rings, and how much it matters, not just today, but in the long run. So next time you scroll through your feed, ask yourself, is this just noise, or is this something that actually matters? Chances are, you’ll start to see the difference more clearly.