nanostory

An intense media narrative about a current event that is intended to make a large, sophisticated problem seem both very personal and incendiary.

Symbolic narratives distinguished by the intensity of the short-term dialogue they create and the speed with which they dissipate.

From "And Then There's This" by Bill Wasik

Last week's nanostory was Sarah Palin's claim that a Obama-created "death panel" could choose to euthanize her infant son with Down Syndrome.