Definition

Noun: 1. A journalist, especially a woman, who writes or edits newspaper or magazine articles characterized by an exaggeratedly sentimental, emotional, or sympathetic tone, often focusing on personal problems, advice, or human-interest stories. This term originated in the early 20th-century American press, often used somewhat dismissively to describe writers in the "advice to the lovelorn" or human-interest sections.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The newspaper's sob sister wrote a heart-wrenching column about the family's struggle that had everyone talking.
  • She was known as the city's premier sob sister, her advice column attracting thousands of letters each week.
  • Critics accused the magazine of relying on sob sister journalism instead of hard news.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used attributively (as a noun modifier) to describe a style of writing or a journalistic role: "a column," " journalism."
• While historically applied to female journalists, the term can refer to any journalist, regardless of gender, who employs this highly sentimental style.

Variants and Related Words

• Sob story (n): A tale of personal hardship or misfortune told to elicit sympathy. (e.g., "He told me a about losing his wallet.")
• Advice columnist (n): A more neutral, modern term for a journalist who answers readers' personal questions.
• Agony aunt (n): The British English equivalent term.

Synonyms

• Agony aunt (chiefly British)
• Advice columnist
• Human-interest writer

Antonyms

• Investigative reporter
• Hard-news journalist
• Foreign correspondent

Related Idioms/Phrases

• While not a phrasal verb, the term is inherently idiomatic. Its meaning derives from the concept of writing that makes readers "sob" (cry) due to its sentimental nature, and "sister" implying a familiar, empathetic persona.

Noun

1. a journalist who specializes in sentimental stories