The media exaggerates negative news. This distortion has consequences | Steven Pinker

Whether or not the world really is getting worse, the nature of news will make us think that it isEvery day the news is filled with stories about war, terrorism, crime, pollution, inequality, drug abuse and oppression. And it ’s not just the headlines we’re talking about; it’s the op-eds and long-form stories as well. Magazine covers warn us of coming anarchies, plagues, epidemics, collapses, and so many “crises” (farm, health, retirement, welfare, energy, deficit) that copywriters have had to escalate to the r edundant “serious crisis.”Whether or not the world really is getting worse, the nature of news will interact with the nature of cognition to make us think that it is.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Psychology Media Science Source Type: news