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

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Etymology

Origin of human interest

First recorded in 1775–80

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

human interest

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 ● Jan. 28, 2026

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

Thankfully, this is also true for those of us who enjoy a well-told saga about a more universal human interest: music.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 26, 2024

The most dangerous reporters, from our standpoint, were the women who came to interview Mother for human interest stories.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

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