Negative Bias In the News Media...
- Sensationalist stories form 95% of media headlines nowadays.
- Media reports with negative news or statistics catch 30% more attention.
- 26.7% of people exposed to negative news go on to develop anxiety issues.
- 63% of kids aged 12–18 say that watching the news makes them feel bad.
- 39% of Americans believe the media exaggerated the COVID-19 coverage.
- A staggering 87% of the COVID-19 media coverage in 2020 was negative.
The news media reports the stories it has grown to believe drives greater market share and increases profit. And after all, what's more important to American capitalism than market share and profit. Even when the result is to feed into and grow division and distrust in our society.
As the statistics above show, the news media has done a remarkably phenomenal job increasing negativity and anxiety as well as desensitizing the culture to growing distrust, lack of civility, increasing rudeness, and expanding violence.
Which begs the question, just why do people seem to thrive on negativity and look for as much of it as possible in the news media? Positive stories that warm the heart and reflect on the human capacity for goodness and compassion lifts the spirits and over time would undoubtedly change perceptions toward existence and life in a positive direction. But all that isn't the American way. Apparently.
Just writing this is increasing anxiety and so here it rests. Below are links for those who might actually be interested in such mundane concerns as making society a better place to live.
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