Why does bad news sell?

[neonlyte]

Hype of falsehood is hype, but this is not hype of falsehoods. Reputable scientists confirm the facts, and have presented those facts for people to read about and judge themselves. I didn't decide that climate change and the arguments that we're contributing to it were valid because of Gore's movie, I decided it because I examined the facts.

Hype is hype if it presents no facts or false facts--which can be proven by reputable scientists to be false. For example, a lot of people believe that there is a hell they should fear. Yet there are no facts to back this up. They are told that there is a simple solution to solving this fear of going to hell. Believe in god. Yet there are no facts that there is a god. This "hype" works so well that people go to church every sunday and give all their money to many a preacher telling them that only by doing as they say will they avoid hell. I consider that hype.

I'm with you till here

Especially if the preachers are riding around expensive cars and living in big houses.

Continue

I don't consider it hype if I can verify facts for myself and if people who make a living studying facts on a subject verify it.

Putting it another way: It's hype if my doctor tries to make me afraid of a something I don't have and sell me her own special vitamins at an exorbitant price. It's not hype of my doctor presents me with the results of blood tests--that I can have re-taken by another doctor to confirm--saying I have a disease, and tells me where I can buy reasonably priced, generic meds to help me live with that disease.

And once more, take your vitriol on the subject of climate change to Trysail's favorite thread. We're discussing why bad news sells here, and so far as I can see, the bad news of climate change has yet to sell much. If it did, we'd have cars over here, like in Europe, that get 50 miles to the gallon. The fear hasn't sold that well because its solution, giving up gas guzzlers, isn't one most Americans are ready to embrace.

'Bad News' is largely the provence of the right. Conservatives fear bad news, Liberals expect bad news following the mantra 'no pain, no gain'.

There is no proof that Preacers riding around in big cars and living in big houses are corrupt... it is a possible indicaror, though I get your point.

Europe is geographically different from the USA. Personally, I wouldn't want to drive a 50ml/gal European car in a North American winter. Having seen snow piled 6ft high by the roadside in April in Saratoga Springs, I'd not drive a 'Smart' car in USA winters. There is a reason why Volvo was a Swedish company.

The correct action is to improve engine efficiency without reducing customer safety, that is good news, and unlikely to be heard

 

[Varian P]

Why does bad news sell here in America?

Conflict and drama are more exciting than complex surveys and analyses of unfolding events with nuanced histories. Entertainment appeals to our weary, lazy little brains more than demanding information does.

Also, anything that's about how "they" are out to get "us" (whether "they" are the USSR, Cuba, China, the poor, immigrants, or welfare moms) appeals to our lower brain in-group, out-group tendencies.

I only wish people would seek their entertainment from reality TV, crime serials, and horror flicks, and turn to the news when they really wanted to be informed, and that news agencies weren't compelled by market forces to focus on the titillating over investigative reporting (Britney Spears' latest trip to rehab should not count) and contextualized analysis of important events. As long as news agencies are profit-driven, the formula isn't likely to change.

 

[Varian P]

I could make a comment about the far Left hate America first crowd, the ones that run NBC and it's chidren(MSNBC...). But there is a bit of that out there.

I know what you mean. FOX "News" should get the gold medal for fear-mongering.

 

[SlickTony]

'why do people just love to seem like they're more unfortunate than they really are?'

Atavistic superstition, pure and simple. They're afraid the gods will come down on them if they brag about how good they have it.