Journal of Mass Communication & Journalism

This paper presents parts of the findings of the research titled: Exploring sensationalism in media coverage of parliament sessions in Tanzania: A comparative study of Habari Leo and Mwananchi newspapers. The main goal was to examine how and to what extent the two serious newspapers fall in sensational reporting. The paper is guided by the framing theory to examine sensational elements in the coverage of news in HabariLeo and Mwananchi newspapers during parliament sessions in June 2022. The purposive sampling technique was used to sample 60 copies (30 copies each) from HabariLeo and Mwananchi newspapers from 1st to 30th June 2022. Unit of analysis were photos, graphics, font size, and the use of colours. Content analysis was used to collect and analyse data and the findings were presented in words, tables, charts, and graphs based on the aforementioned goal of examining how the two serious newspapers can accommodate sensational elements. The study found that sensational elements were mainly on front-page headlines, the use of colours, and language style. On the extent of sensational elements accommodated in HabariLeo and Mwananchi, the study found high levels and low levels of sensationalism in both newspapers. The study recommends that the application of sensationalism should not be entertained in serious news for credible and responsible journalism.

The breakthroughs of the third industrial revolution made the fourth industrial revolution feasible, and processes and technology drive the growth of every industry. Since journalists now perform a wide range of tasks, such as digital data processing, graphic and multimedia preparation, web development, and coding, their jobs today require technology-based knowledge, making them a more challenging profession than they were a century or even ten years ago when journalists' work was limited to writing news articles. As a result, the profession of journalism, which was formerly associated with the social sciences, has been incorporated into the study of information technology and cybernetics. Information sites have been a new technology-based information medium since the advent of the internet, and they have evolved as an accompaniment to traditional information tools, personal information blogs, etc. However, today's user base, social influence, technological advancements, and information capacity have all changed and have transformed into a leading news medium. Also, the central component of new informational tools has evolved into the primary tool for producing and disseminating expert journalistic news. In the future, news websites will have more content and information due to the influence of cutting-edge technologies like blockchain, big data, artificial intelligence, and the metaverse. These technologies are near to defining the tone of the journalism and mass communication industries.