I believe that the purpose of the media should be to report the news, however normal and mundane it may be. But I think we’ve come a long way from that. Rather, it seems like for quite some time the media garners attention by exploiting our fears and over-sensationalizing The way they report shark attacks and terrorist threats would make you think that these have far more than an infinitesimal chance of directly affecting us.
Sadly, the general public buys into the hyped-up fear, thus increasing the attention the media receives, and growing their revenue through advertising. We are further incentivizing the fear-based reporting.
How often do you hear a professional give his or her opinion that the forecast for the future should be pretty similar to the past? Do you ever hear them say “Things aren’t so bad,” “Things are normal,” or “We really don’t have a lot to worry about”? Of course not. I’m sure there are many professionals who believe this, but it wouldn’t make for a very good news story, would it? Is the economy really as bad as the "experts" say? Probably not.
And so I take all negative news reports with an extra-large dose of sodium chloride.
Sadly, the general public buys into the hyped-up fear, thus increasing the attention the media receives, and growing their revenue through advertising. We are further incentivizing the fear-based reporting.
How often do you hear a professional give his or her opinion that the forecast for the future should be pretty similar to the past? Do you ever hear them say “Things aren’t so bad,” “Things are normal,” or “We really don’t have a lot to worry about”? Of course not. I’m sure there are many professionals who believe this, but it wouldn’t make for a very good news story, would it? Is the economy really as bad as the "experts" say? Probably not.
And so I take all negative news reports with an extra-large dose of sodium chloride.