Aug
Is the news too negative?
Jason Crawford
Every morning I pick up my copy of the newspaper and start scanning the headlines for the day’s top news. Reading the newspaper is something I have enjoyed since my days in college as I always look forward to sitting down with the paper and a good cup of coffee.
Recently, I have started feeling depressed and angry by the time I get to work, but I couldn’t figure out why. Then it hit me – the headlines – they are almost all negative. Scanning CNN later, the same problem occurred - “Boy in Suitcase was Cult Victim,” “Man Decapitated on Bus,” “Olympic Guest Hacked to Death” and on and on.
The business sections have gotten smaller and smaller while the negative news stories have been consistently growing. This makes me think that business throughout the US is slowing down and that the world is becoming a sinister place, but is this a fair assessment?
Reporters have started to compare our current economic state with the Great Depression, but the actual numbers say the economy, while not good, is far better off than it was during the Great Depression. Also, when gas prices were going up, everyone was reporting how most people are finding it hard to survive. But now that gas prices are going down, there have only been a handful of stories. Is this positive news not important?
The members of the media say they write the stories people want to read, but a majority of the people I spoke with said they have stopped subscribing to the paper because the news is too negative and makes them feel cynical. So what is the truth and what is perception?
The facts say that readership is down as many newspapers throughout the country are starting to downsize. The Washington Post recently laid off 100 staff members while the Washington Times announced they can no longer afford to print their own newspaper and have contracted the task out to the Baltimore Sun.
So, is the news too negative? Please share your thoughts.
What strikes me is the need to expose oneself to as many different media outlets as possible, if you want to gain a good understanding of a situation. I recently got a very scary view of a situation related to the reconstuction effort in Iraq by watching CNN. I then read an article that same day in the NY Times that shed a different light, and then went on to read further analysis in other outlets. It goes to show you that you really should access many media sources about any given topic you are interested in. Otherwise, you risk becoming a master of the obvious and will miss the finer and sometimes more vital points.
Yes, the news is largely negative, and it always will be. When browsing stories, in a split-second I ask myself, “Do I need to know this?” About 90 per cent of the time, the answer is no.
The headlines you cite are stories that I simply do not need to know, so I don’t read them. The only benefit to knowing the details is being “in the know” when talking with colleagues and friends. Will I stop riding buses for fear of being beheaded? Um, no.
The truth is that most “news” is pure entertainment and titilation. I accept that, and I like to be enteratined and titlilated as much as the next person. I understand that every good story needs conflict. Conflict draws an audience.
Reality TV is the brainchild not of Hollywood, but of Ted Turner.
I couldn’t agree with you more. The only “good news,” story you will see is either in the “Family,” section of the newspaper or at the tail end of your local newscast.
However, I disagree with your contention that people are drawing away from the bad news. People often say one thing and do another. Do you know anyone who watches Jerry Springer? I’ve never met anyone who will own up to it yet his ratings soar. I believe the same thing happens with newspapers. While people say they don’t want bad news; they revel in the photo of the head rolling on the ground. It’s the car wreck phenomenon. You know it’s a bad thing, but you just can’t help but look.