human interest

American  

noun

1. a quality of a story or report, as in a newspaper or on a newscast, that engages attention and sympathy by enabling one to identify readily with the people, problems, and situations described.

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human interest British  

noun

1. (in a newspaper story, news broadcasting, etc) reference to individuals and their emotions

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Other Word Forms

• human-interest
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of human interest

First recorded in 1775–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

human interest

His investigation into cargo ship crews abandoned at sea was a finalist for the Overseas Press Club's top prize for human interest journalism, as well as a Gerald Loeb Award feature finalist.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026

Kellyman is terrific opposite Squibb, but this unconventional friendship tale is the kind of slight human interest story that slips from your consciousness almost as soon as it has made its brief impression.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2025

Annie enjoys covering trends in human interest, LGBTQ+ issues and climate policy.

From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2025

It’s just really hard because in some ways these are both human interest stories and legal stories.

From Slate ● Dec. 31, 2024

Berg was “intrigued with the scientific and human interest elements in such a story,” he wrote, and he wanted to learn more about it.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot