What does "churnalism" mean?

The use of ready-made press release material copied wholesale into a newspaper article as if it were the journalist's own copy.

What is a synonym for "churnalism"?

Common synonyms include: link bait, link bait.

Pronounced //ˈtʃɜːnəlɪzəm//.

//ˈtʃɜːnəlɪzəm// noun

noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Noun

1
The use of ready-made press release material copied wholesale into a newspaper article as if it were the journalist's own copy. derogatory, uncountable
"New-media gossip juggernaut Gawker also pays tribute to churnalism's animating spirits: shortness, sensationalism, superficiality, and speed."

"New-media gossip juggernaut Gawker also pays tribute to churnalism's animating spirits: shortness, sensationalism, superficiality, and speed."

Blend of churn (out) + journalism.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.