Comments on: The Media’s ‘Bad News’ Bias

By: James Clark

James Clark — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:53:22 +0000

Eric,

The media understands fear, uncertainty and doubt sells.

I’ve had discussions about this with friends and one of them introduced me to Ode Magazine, http://ww.odemagazine.com.

Ode focuses on positive stories that making a difference. Check it out.

BTW, I’ve got no affiliation to Ode, my affiliation is being disgusted with the bad news media.

By: Saskboy

Saskboy — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 06:20:03 +0000

I found an exception to this otherwise accurate take on modern media, in the Leader-Post of all places. It had a story about a girl’s birthday party raising money for Telemiracle as an annual tradition, and a fun thing to do. Unless that counts a a society trend…

By: Jennifer Hofmann

Jennifer Hofmann — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 02:10:01 +0000

Just goes to show that whatever you focus on intensifies. You want to find the bad in things? You’ll find it. Want to find the good – it’s there too – in arguably equal measure.

Nice dose of irony to get my brain going, Eric. Thanks! :)

By: Ike

Ike — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:19:42 +0000

It’s laziness, Eric. Pure laziness.

What most consider to be “bad news” is the instant and unforeseen. Good things happen all the time, but they happen slowly, and media weasels are too damned lazy to track things that happen slow.

When I was reporting, there were plenty of good stories I pitched that were of “no apparent interest,” for no other reason than there was no “today angle.”

“Well, just because *you* hadn’t known about it until now doesn’t mean it will have no impact on the audience.”

They told me I was leaving for “the dark side,” but I haven’t regretted leaving for a single day.