Why is the news depressing?

[kaseykockroach]

Why is it that the News on TV is always bad news? Its almost always stuff about the end of the world or someone dying, there's almost never happy news. Your opinions?

[Martianinvader]

It sells better; the logic is that people are more likely to watch if they are led to believe the newscast has information that concerns their lives. That's why most TV news these days is reduced to fear stuff.

The bubble-headed bleached blonde
Comes on at 5,
She can tell you about the plane crash
With a gleam in her eye.
It's interesting when people die,
Give us dirty laundry.....

[Kury Wagner]

Misery is more common, it varies more, it makes for a better story. Apparently, so does American Idol... but that's another story. Hearing about a puppy getting rescued from a tree for the seven-hundredth time is just annoying. Go to a small town, you'll have more fluff in your news.

[XOMiss_Samantha]

Just like many best selling books, people love to hear about horror, tragic, depressing tales. It's interisting. I mean, would you rather read about a guy who won a gold medal by doing nothing, or a guy who over came a drug addiction, went through rehab, stabbed a man, THEN won a gold medal?

[Ishtar]

I think everyone else summed it up well. Negative news is more available and interesting to use. The news doesn't always have to be depressing though. There can stil be positive news. They have to mix the good and the bad, both are important.

[Juu-kuchi]

Because misery loves company, especially in the form of viewers. But that's highly untrue...

Misery is the Show-me State.

[Dead_Ninja_000]

You my friend just turn in on the wrong time. :sweat:

But yeah it always brings tear to my eye..

[Super Leviathan]

"If it bleeds, It leads", sad but true.

It's the same thing with coverage of Politics and Religion in the News; You're far more likely to hear about the minority of Corrupt politicians, and religious fundamentalists in the news than about anything positive about such people.

[Wounded_Dragon]

Well, which items really need the most coverage: feel good items that need no further help or tragedy that people need to take measures to prevent?

[stitchlover]

because it tells what is happening in this world. . . .

[Beguiled]

Well, it is true that there are a lot of sad things on the news, and it is good that they are there because it makes us more aware of the world. However, it's not good to get too down about it because there are a lot of really amazing and wonderful things that don't make the news. There are people everywhere doing good deeds. In school a few weeks ago my teacher told us a story she read somewhere...a man passed out and fell into the tracks in a subway station. Everyone could see him just lying there and the subway was coming down the tunnel. Another man saw the guy, jumped down, laid him between the tracks and laid over him--so that if the guy woke up, he wouldn't panic and get hurt. The man had a wife and children, but he risked his life to save a complete stranger. It's completely amazing. Just realize that despite all of the tragedy on the news, there are some really good things happening too. Just try to keep everything in persective and keep your chin up. :)

[Shawn Hopkins]

I work as a reporter for a small town newspaper. I'm no expert on tv, but I can tell you that we have positive, or at least indifferent, news in our paper everyday. I think that stuff, meetings, things that happen in schools, court reporting, is less interesting to local tv stations because the element of conflict isn't as obvious and pronounced in it.

Most local TV reporters are also, in my opinion, not really interested in anything that requires a lot of digging or depth. I once had one, a pretty blonde, tell me directly that she simply could not deal with putting in as much detail as goes into a print news story. I'm sure there are exceptions to my experience in bigger markets, but I've only worked in relatively small ones. The main television reporters in my market now are literally convicted felons with a cable station, who never attend public meetings except as a pretense for an ambush interview.

But people do ask me some times why we report so much bad news. I personally believe our job is to inform people about their world so they can make decisions about it, so it is the media's job to tell you, using an example from last week, that some brands of pet food were making pets sick. Burying our heads in the sand and focusing on something that makes us happy won't make problems like this go away. Nor will ignoring misdoing by offiicials. In fact, if the media did not report it, it would almost certainly get worse because citizens would not know to speak out about it or to vote against the corrupt politician in the next election.

Also, honestly, most times good news just isn't news. Good news is often when things are static or stay the same. The sun came up, nobody died and no planes crashed into any buildings. We can't go with that over things that actually happened.

But I agree TV takes it too far. They often find one fascinating, ugly thing like the latest missing white girl and focus on it incessantly, ignoring other information that may be more important or useful to their viewers. This must be what most people want, because this is what gets them ratings.

Another disturbing trend with the advent of Fox News is that people also seem to no longer be interested in news that tries to be unbiased. They are satisfied with bias as long as it is slanted "their" way.

Basically, kasey, my only advice if you want more balanced coverage is to stop watching tv news (in most cases, I guess things like election reports, trials and breaking news are okay) and read a paper or listen to NPR News and BBC World.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Well, it is true that there are a lot of sad things on the news, and it is good that they are there because it makes us more aware of the world. However, it's not good to get too down about it because there are a lot of really amazing and wonderful things that don't make the news. There are people everywhere doing good deeds. In school a few weeks ago my teacher told us a story she read somewhere...a man passed out and fell into the tracks in a subway station. Everyone could see him just lying there and the subway was coming down the tunnel. Another man saw the guy, jumped down, laid him between the tracks and laid over him--so that if the guy woke up, he wouldn't panic and get hurt. The man had a wife and children, but he risked his life to save a complete stranger. It's completely amazing. Just realize that despite all of the tragedy on the news, there are some really good things happening too. Just try to keep everything in persective and keep your chin up. :)

By the way, this story definitely made the news. I remember when it happened it was all over CNN and the papers.

[Beguiled]

By the way, this story definitely made the news. I remember when it happened it was all over CNN and the papers.

Well, there you go. Something positive. :anime:

[purplehairedwonder]

Because, like it has been said, blood sells. Just look at the movie industry lately with all the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Hills Have Eyes type movies topping the box office. People are more apt to tune into that kind of news. TV is, first and foremost, and industry, so they're going to air what will get them ratings, and that's all the depressing stories.

But at the same time, I think a case can be made saying this type of news just makes all the good news that's reported seem even better. When we see a newscast full of murder and rape and all this depressing stuff, then the final story is something more upbeat, it just makes the story seem even more worth the while.

[Antiyonder]

Just been reading some of the older threads recently, hence why I'm responding.

Because, like it has been said, blood sells. Just look at the movie industry lately with all the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Hills Have Eyes type movies topping the box office. People are more apt to tune into that kind of news. TV is, first and foremost, and industry, so they're going to air what will get them ratings, and that's all the depressing stories.

What I don't get is if people prefer the depressing suicidal tones, why don't they just stick with the news and newspapers.

At the risk of sounding idiotic, I always thought movies/tv programs are suppose to be escapisim, and depression doesn't equal escapisim IMO.

I mean, would you rather read about a guy who won a gold medal by doing nothing, or a guy who over came a drug addiction, went through rehab, stabbed a man, THEN won a gold medal?

Kind of simplifying things don't you think? What I underlined strikes me as the equivalent of asking if you want to read about a tree hugging hippie winning a gold medal or a psychotic druggie winning a gold medal? Why can't the guy be in between those two sterotypes?

That's the flaw with most stories (whether it's in a book or on TV), some writers have the whole one or the other mentality. You know how they say chivalry is dead? So is the concept of balance or Yin/Yang as some call it. Programs like Batman The Animated Series, Iron Man (Season 2), Gargoyles and Justice League Unlimited demonstrate the concept of balancing quite well:

- Characters can provide conflict and show flaws without being hateful.
- Stories are serious and dark without the whole wrist slitting depression.
- They're adult without being pornographic or giving off an MA Rating vibe.

[sun]

People don't want quiet peaceful news. No ones responds to it..OH, YOU SAY IT ISN'T SO...afraid so..

http://forums.toonzone.net/images/statusicon/thread_dot.gif Peace...here is an example (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?t=186569) ......zero response ....59 views...
sun
by sun (http://forums.toonzone.net/member.php?find=lastposter&t=186569) http://forums.toonzone.net/images/buttons/lastpost.gif (http://forums.toonzone.net/showthread.php?p=2470604#post2470604) [/right]
0 (http://forums.toonzone.net/search.php?searchid=1028460#) 59 Cafe Toon Zone (http://forums.toonzone.net/forumdisplay.php?f=12)The above is a link to a thread I started on 3/27/2007..about Peace..
No one responded to it. a good number looked.. But no one responded.
NO ONE>

Racism, violence, fights, etc...

People respond to it. Argue about it. want to respond..Ratings go up..When OJ Simpson was on trial, the station that had the most coverage, had the highest ratings..of a murder trial..

..We must focus on peace, and trying to unify ourselves if we are going to survive as a people. Not just the U.S. but all of us.

Please. Peace is important..
This story about two parties that had been at war a long time, and trying to make peace, must be noticed. Yes, the ugliness continues. Always.
But we should look for some kind of good news. Not out there.. but right here. Let us try to solve our problems..As these people are here.
Link to it. Respond to it. It is good news. Let us start right here...sun

[Kagetsu]

If you bring "news" down to basics. Would you rather wade through thousands of choices about "things are average", or would you want to hear the few "LOOK OUT"? Most news is about warnings. What is important, is when the average changes.

[tb4000]

Good news is boring. That's the consensus. We can talk about someone saving someone from a grisly fate, which is technically good news, but the fact is that it was originally bad news that caused the good news story, so it's still bad.

[Frank Castle]

The news chick for the ABC affiliate in my area is hot. That is reason alone to watch.

[Vermunium]

The news chick for the ABC affiliate in my area is hot. That is reason alone to watch.

That's honestly a bad reason to watch.

[Frank Castle]

If I'm gonna be hearing some bad news, I want to hear it from someone who looks nice.

[Kaoru]

It's just the way good news producers make it look hopeless. Like Joel Cheatwood said "If it bleeds, it leads.". they leave out most of the good stuff but usually end the 2.5 hour bulletin with one brief kitty rescue story to leave you on a good note. That's the way in America, anyway, news programs here in Aus are just badly made.

[AlltruismNervana]

3 Monkeys

Hear No evil
See no evil
Speak no evil

cynical but a safe way to make it through the day when you gotta do it one step at a time.

Guess I am no monkey :D :cool: :raven2:

[Ickis]

I don't know, I guess the News just enjoys brining misery to others just so they can get attention. Don't watch the news apart from traffic and weather reports unless they have a story your intrested in like with me I watched it back in 2003 when they were speaking about the last classic VW Beetle rolling off the line.

[wonderfly]

The bubble-headed bleached blonde
Comes on at 5,
She can tell you about the plane crash
With a gleam in her eye.
It's interesting when people die,
Give us dirty laundry.....

Kick 'em when they're up, Kick 'em when they're down. ;)


Another disturbing trend with the advent of Fox News is that people also seem to no longer be interested in news that tries to be unbiased. They are satisfied with bias as long as it is slanted "their" way.

As if there was never any bias in news reporting before Fox News came along?

[Kamina]

Simple answer, the news is depressing because misfourtune leads, scandlal=ratings. Apparently it wasn't always like this but oh well

This is in reference MAINLY to local crime news. Understanding danger in our area IS important. HOWEVER, crime is easy to report and easy to digest, with the abundance in fast moving news gathering devices, vehicles and such, networks have mainly focused on the coverage of shootings, homicides, rape and such. This is why theres so much of it. Plus they can be easily jazzed up.

Unfortunetly, there's little of any LARGER scale news, such as in depth coverage of local lawmakers pushing to eradicate or reduce such events. In depth coverage of important stuff in the long run, Local Economics, Politics covered in depth don't happen on tv (very often if at all), because either people don't want it, it's outside stations agenda's or both.

But long story short it's merely due to an abundance of crime stories, if you want news (particularly local) that's of relevance and (hopefully, depends on the publication) non-sensationalistc, better try the paper or NPR station.


Also, even with the bastions of Journalism that Cronkite and Murrow were, I believe that especially after the 70s US network news was slanted a ways to the left, generally.

[I.R Joey]

I'm inclined to believe the opposite actually.

That the news (in The U.S anyway) is more willing to cover fluff, when horrific tragedies around the world go under reported (Darfur for instance.)

[Boomhauer]

News isn't depressing to me, it's just a heads up- keep your eyes and ears open. It's just important things we need to be aware of, because every tragic moment will occur.

[DBZNarutoWarrior]

Because the world sucks, and media thrives on depressing stories with carnage and death. It's pretty stupid if you ask me.