Since today's media isn't really hard copy, the only thing that writers get judged on is their following. How many people click on their story, and how many consistently follow what they write.
The more sensational the stories, the more clicks, and it increases followers.
Here's two headlines for a story:
Shepherd protects sheep in pasture
Shepherd thwarts bloody wolf attack to save sheep from being mauled
Which one would you click on? They can be the same story. It's all how you sell it with the headline.