churnalism

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/ˈtʃɜːnəlɪzəm/

noun

The use of ready-made press release material copied wholesale into a newspaper article as if it were the journalist's own copy.

Scrabble 17
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Meanings

nounchurnalism (uncountable)
  1. derogatoryuncountablejournalismThe use of ready-made press release material copied wholesale into a newspaper article as if it were the journalist's own copy.

    New-media gossip juggernaut Gawker also pays tribute to churnalism's animating spirits: shortness, sensationalism, superficiality, and speed.

    2014, Astra Taylor, The People's Platform: Taking Back Power and Culture in the Digital Age, Henry Holt and Company, →ISBN
    1 more example

    One can see the possibility for limitless content for a 24/7 world: churnalism, hamsterization, the news cyclone—names to describe the condition keep coming.

    2014, Nikki Usher, Making News at The New York Times, page 232

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
link bait

Origin

Blend of churn (out) + journalism. Originally coined by BBC journalist Waseem Zakir and popularised by writer Nick Davies in the 2008 book Flat Earth News.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

churnalism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/churnalism

MLA

“churnalism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/churnalism. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “churnalism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/churnalism.

Source: churnalism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.