EMOTIONAL JOURNALISM: TRENDS IN CONTENT PERSONALIZATION AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE AUDIENCE

Abstract

The article reveals the main trends of content personalization within emotional journalism, which drive the transformation of the forms and mechanisms of media interaction with the audience. It has been established that the active inclusion of emotional elements in journalistic discourse is a response to the digitalization of the communicative space and the growing affective sensitivity of information consumers. The crucial role of genre-formal innovations – such as immersive and constructive journalism – has been emphasized, as they aim to deepen the audience’s experience. It is highlighted that personalized emotional stories create a sense of presence, fostering empathetic resonance and cognitive engagement. It has been stated that digital platforms and social media, particularly TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, actively influence the shaping of the emotional landscape through algorithmic detection of affective reactions. It is noted that incorporating personal stories into news structures enables a shift from abstract reporting to individualized experience. The article examines how the emotional coverage of social conflicts (migration, discrimination, war) through the imagery of victimhood or resistance contributes to the formation of narratives of justice and humanitarian reflection. It has been established that emotional journalism performs both informational and communicative-adaptive functions. Emotional personalization is characterized as dual in nature: it simultaneously deepens topic comprehension while posing risks of informational isolation. Challenges have been identified in balancing emotional impact with the maintenance of journalistic standards of impartiality.It is determined that personalized content in journalism influences the development of the audience’s emotional competence, shaping new practices of empathy and civic engagement.