Journalism

Why So Much ‘Bad News’ In the Nightly News?

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Last Updated on December 3, 2015

I saw an interesting discussion on LinkedIn the other day that began, in part, with the question of why there’s so much bad news in the media. I hear this question asked all the time, and I never really understand why people seem to be so mystified that the news often focuses on the negative. One of the people in the discussion suggested it’s because the media has “defined” news as bad news.

It’s not the media that makes that definition: it’s common sense.

Let’s consider an example from your&nbsp workplace: in the cubicle next to you, there’s a very nice older man named Larry. Larry is an employer’s dream: he is always punctual — he arrives for work early, in fact — and always gets his work done ahead of schedule. He’s a company guy all the way and is always eager to do everything asked of him. His boss practically has to lock him out of the building once in a while to force him to take his allocated vacation time. Larry has been with the company for 20 years, and he can’t imagine working anywhere else. He’s as dependable as Old Faithful.

Knowing this situation exists, you, as Larry’s co-worker, aren’t remotely surprised when he shows up early on the Monday of a new week and goes about his duties as always. You don’t see anything unusual when it happens again that Tuesday. That Wednesday, Larry beats you to the office once again, as always, and acts as the model employee once again.

Nothing to see here, folks. Just move along.

But on Thursday, the world turns upside down: you beat Larry to the office. By 10:30am, there’s still no sign of him: your boss calls him repeatedly. Larry’s a no-show.

His behavior Monday through Wednesday is characterized by him doing what’s expected. That’s not news. His behavior on Thursday is a complete shocker because it’s not what is supposed to happen. That’s news.

When a plane takes off and then subsequently lands with no major issues, that’s what is supposed to happen: it’s one of a mere 87,000 commercial and non-commercial flights that occur on any given day in the United States. It isn’t news, because there’d be no time to document all of them.

Let a plane crash and that’s news: not because it’s bad, but because it’s the opposite of what we expect.

Sometimes, good news is news: if Larry is late for work because it turns out he singlehandedly thwarted an armed robbery at his favorite coffee shop on the way to work, that’s news, because that’s not what people would expect, either.

When that plane that suffered a bird strike had to crash land in the Hudson River, that was definitely news: because of the crash and because no one died. Overall, it was very good news. But it was news because on two different levels, it wasn’t what anyone would have expected.

the authorPatrick
Patrick is a Christian with more than 30 years experience in professional writing, producing and marketing. His professional background also includes social media, reporting for broadcast television and the web, directing, videography and photography. He enjoys getting to know people over coffee and spending time with his dog.

14 Comments

  • patricksplace Whatever happened to that European paper that ONLY published good news and positive stories one day a year?

    • hammond Once a year might be just seldom enough to make it work. But even so, I doubt it’s still around.

    • JayLeads ThinDifference TV’s goal is to get ratings; that’s a given. Ratings aren’t the direct reason news is mostly negative, though.

    • patricksplace Extreme Makeover Home Edition, soldier surprises brother at bball game, neighborhood rebuilds vandalized home of veteran

      • kennyfletcherjr I believe that show was canceled, but ABC never ran it as a nightly program. Do you consider that show “news”?

        • patricksplace no don,t really consider “it news”, but it is good news. We don’t have to overpush the bad when there are other angles.

        • kennyfletcherjr Most newscasts have some good news element in them. It’s usually called “the kicker” and ends the show on a high note.

        • kennyfletcherjr But that takes us back to the fact that good news doesn’t sell long-term.

        • patricksplace and yet boxcutter assailant has his name and face constantly plastered on every channel here like he’s like he’s the victim.

        • kennyfletcherjr No question…but I look at that more as supply and demand. If more would watch only good news, IT would be easier to find.

    • patricksplace army chaplain receives Medal Of Honor, Pope steps into crowd to give blessings, 14 y/o 1 over par in Augusta

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