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

She previously worked as a reporting intern at the New Hampshire Union Leader, covering local politics, state funding and human interest stories.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

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

From BBC ● Dec. 12, 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

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