Good Question About US Media.

[Sibling Chatty]

Why does the media love hate-crime?

From Alternet's Evan Derkacz

http://tinyurl.com/yznxou

Mediachannel's Rory O'Connor asks why the media rushes to cover every display of hate -- large or small -- yet neglects citizen's anti-hate groups like The Working Group...

There is an excellent video analysis on the Alternet page.

Why is there only bad news? What's the reason for "if it bleeds, it leads"?

Maybe it's because the media thinks that's what we want.

[goat starer]

I think the problem is that most acts of kindness and even heroism are a bit mundane and day to day. I suppose it is a good thing that the evil excesses of human beings still make headlines because that probably means they are the exception rather than the rule.

[Sibling Spoffish]

I agree. If things like murder and terrible car accidents were commonplace, they would be in the news less often. We should be glad they're not.

On the other hand, people can only read a certain number of 'heart-warming' stories before switching off and wondering what happened to the real world.

[Aggie]

Hate crime?  There's no neutrality in it, but there's people on both sides of any hate crime, even if many of the 'supporters' wouldn't admit it.  The media wants emotional reactions to draw users in, and the negative emotions can be most easily and most powerfully triggered by that headline or newsbite.  If you glance at a 'happy' headline, you're brain's more likely to go 'oh nice' and keep walking. 

[Opsa]

Maybe people are more easily manipulated when they are emotionally shocked.

This makes me think of the way some of the Seventh-Day Adventists have approached me. I remember once I was in my front yard and two women came over and said "Isn't it horrible, the way the world is today?" I looked around at my yard. I said, "but look at all the beauty in the world."

I'm sure that they were trying to goad me into complaining so that they could present me with the "answer". But I was in too good a mood.

[goat starer]

just look at the way an accident on the other side of the road can bring a motorway to a standstill. bad things shock, shocking things cause curiosity. They are more interesting and our capacity for curiosity helped us to evolve to where we are today. The media is simply reflecting our evolutionary proclivities!

[Sibling Lambicus the Toluous]

I think the problem is that most acts of kindness and even heroism are a bit mundane and day to day.

Also, if the news says that everything is generally okay, then the viewer's response is "well... all right then.  I'll just turn off the TV (or change the channel) and keep doing what I was doing."

If the news can be seen as a threat to you personally or the things you care about, you're more likely to watch.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Hey! we have to be aware of the very small chance of being robed in our houses or raped, rather than being aware of the (absolute certainty when it comes to the) embezzlement of our taxes... 

[goat starer]

Hey! we have to be aware of the very small chance of being robed in our houses

I am robed in my house quite often but just occasionally I like to wander down to the kitchen NAKED!