A shocker: a report of a crime written in a provokingly lurid style.
A journal or broadsheet printing such reports.
A shocking or sensational crime.
An adjective "dreadful" is used to describe something that is genuinely horrific or alarming, unpleasant or very bad, and can also be used to describe something that is awe-inspiring and causes feelings of reverence (though this usage is obsolete).
The adjective "dreadful" can mean either scared, timid, easily frightened, or reverential, full of pious awe.
(informal) Dreadfully.