Vim & Vision

"Hype" vs. "Publicity" Permalink

English Added less than a year ago and last edited less than a year ago

Yesterday I was commenting on how heavily a particular web site[1] was being hyped - and how I thought the hype was a bit ridiculous; that the site did not deserve that much attention[2].

Someone commented that just by talking about it, I was increasing the hype. This is incorrect.

There is a difference between publicity and hype. Oxford says that publicity is:

public exposure; notoriety

... and we are all familiar with the saying:

Any publicity is good publicity.

Hype is different.

To hype, according to Oxford, is:

[to] promote or publicize (a product or idea) intensively, often exaggerating its importance or benefits

Reference.com says that to hype is:

to create interest in by flamboyant or dramatic methods

So, while talking about something does increase its publicity - it does not necessarily add to its hype unless you are being positive about it, talking up its importance or trying to create interest in it.

If you are questioning the value of something, or trying to discourage interest in it then you are not adding to its hype.

What if something is experiencing notoriety but is negative? Is it just publicity and not hype? Not necessarily. Example: swine flu. There is a ton of media hype about this disease but the disease is obviously something negative. We can still call this hype though because it plays up the importance of the disease and generates interest in it.

[1] Yes, I am increasing the publicity of this website by providing a link.

[2] I could very well be wrong! This site may indeed be fantastic and hype-worthy - only time will tell. My opinion is not the topic of this post.

Colophon

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"Hype" vs. "Publicity" Permalink

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