Bad News Bearers: Up To No Good? (washingtonpost.com): "establishment journalists are obsessed with bad news because the elites they serve benefit from fear-mongering. Politicians hurl charges about how awful things have become, which gets them booked on talk shows. Interest groups seize on sky-is-falling reports to boost their fundraising. And newshounds themselves feel empowered because crises get their adrenaline flowing.
Journalists, Easterbrook says in an interview, 'want their own work to be seen as important, as we all do. If you present something as scandalous or dangerous or frightening, that's more compelling than a story about something that's gone well.' "
- posted by geoff @ #