Human Interest Story: Difference between revisions

While the term is inherently neutral, it has still gained quite a negative stigma over the years. The label usually only comes up when denouncing a story as emotionally manipulative, [[Pandering to The Base]], and often veering towards [[Glurge]]. Within the journalism community, human interest stories are viewed with disdain and people who specialize in them as not really being "true" journalists. Editors have a love-hate relation, since a human interest story helps bring more readers/viewers in through word of mouth but tends to not reflect well on their integrity. As such, human interest stories tend to be given much less priority in terms of placement within the newspaper/magazine/show. It's a slow news day when a human interest story makes the headline. However, the priority is also regionally affected, as these are more common and accepted in some parts of the world then in others.

 

 

Examples of human interest stories in real life would be much too numerous to list and also potentially controversial in assessment, so the examples section will concern itself with appearances in fiction.

 

 

== Film ==

* An editorial meeting portrayed in ''[[All the Presidents Men (Film)|All the Presidents Men]]'' mentioned making space for a human interest story.

* The core of the film ''[[Titanic]]'' is a [[Human Interest Story]]. The broad strokes of the greater event are detailed quickly early on, but Rose is adamant that it isn't "the real story." The real story centers around her and Jack, natch...