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

I am very, very bad at it, but as with every other sport — none of which I have any talent for — I can be drawn in as an observer by the drama, the human interest and the physics of a game.

From Los Angeles Times

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

He also has worked as a reporter for the Houston Chronicle, where he often wrote human interest stories and reported on the region's large population of immigrants, education and suburban news.

From The Wall Street Journal

"My films are not political, they are of human interest," Sudipto Sen, director of The Kerala Story, told the BBC last year.

From BBC

Judge Quinzy had been the only one who had shown a more human interest in Penelope, and in the Incorrigibles.

From Literature