[Serious] Fascination with evil...

Watch any news report and how many are about murders, beatings etc? Most.

A good example I saw on a program about this was in regard to the terrorist bombings. Without doing any digging using Google, just think.
How many died in the 9/11 attacks?
.
.
.
.
bet you know roughly how much, yes?
Now ask yourself, how many survived? (those that managed to escape the building)
.
No, I didn't know either.
Same with the London 7/7 bombings. I could tell you exactly the number who died, yet I couldn't guess at how many were on the trains and bus that survived. Why do the media constantly concentrate on the bad, and ignore the good?

Why is it that a major news piece lasting half of the news (30 mins long) will be dedicated to a recent murder. Yet when something extremely good happens it gets a five minute dedication

Sorry folks. Feeling very restless at the moment and wanted to express my thoughts with other wisened, learned colleagues

People are much interested in violence than those good ones.

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Originally Posted by Valleysboy1978

Why do the media constantly concentrate on the bad, and ignore the good?

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I survived my bus trip home today.

If things like that were newsworthy I'd be pretty alarmed at the state of the world.

sorry, did your bus have a bomb on it??

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Originally Posted by mar_zim

People are much interested in violence than those good ones.

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exactly my point, and I find that sad

Hey don't fret, I always watch news late night. And I tell you they do feature the really exceptional news that does not really feature violence, but in fact about well being. :D

let me cite 2 examples:

1. [Philippine TV] They featured a wakeboarder that has no limbs and walks on sticks on land. Yet he can surf like a pro on water and even teaches other people how to surf. :D

2. [Japanese TV] They featured the noteworthy rescue of 4-5 piglets that was abandoned by the side of the creek! Police was notified of strange things found on the creek and promptly arrived at the scene of the crime. Thankfully, not one of the piglets died of pneumonia or any other complications due to exposure (it was spring that time). I believe they are now under the care of some very concerned citizens, comfy in their winter clothes. :D

and I am not joking here. I am telling the truth.

We humans have an inherent morbid curiosity regarding matters of which we are subconsciously (and relatively) ignorant of and therefore afraid of. After all, isn't that why death rituals are so important? And isn't that why religion was created? (Yes and Yes). It's not sad, it's who we are. Attempting to deny it is what's sad.

If on the news they keep telling you about the latest cute pet awards, or how some random guy in the middle of no where got an award for something or other, would you continue to watch the news? News companies only show the bad things as its what gets the audience. If i saw a news report on a bombing on my way past the TV, i'd stop to see what happened, but if it was about how a wakeboarder who couldn't walk teaching people about surfing, i'd be like cool and walk off.

I always like seeing good stuff on the news, but its the bad events that capture your attention. In the end, they need to make money, so they sell what people will watch.

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Originally Posted by Andrew G

If i saw a news report on a bombing on my way past the TV, i'd stop to see what happened, but if it was about how a wakeboarder who couldn't walk teaching people about surfing, i'd be like cool and walk off.

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Exactly my point, humans have a morbid curiosity.

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Originally Posted by Valleysboy1978

No ask yourself, how many survived?

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About 6 billion, give or take.

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Originally Posted by wossname

About 6 billion, give or take.

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Note the serious tag. I specified I was talking about those who survived the bombings (i.e.those in the WTC buildings, and those in the london tube trains or bus)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Valleysboy1978

Watch any news report and how many are about murders, beatings etc? Most.

A good example I saw on a program about this was in regard to the terrorist bombings. Without doing any digging using Google, just think.
How many died in the 9/11 attacks?
.
.
.
.
bet you know roughly how much, yes?
Now ask yourself, how many survived? (those that managed to escape the building)
.
No, I didn't know either.
Same with the London 7/7 bombings. I could tell you exactly the number who died, yet I couldn't guess at how many were on the trains and bus that survived. Why do the media constantly concentrate on the bad, and ignore the good?

Why is it that a major news piece lasting half of the news (30 mins long) will be dedicated to a recent murder. Yet when something extremely good happens it gets a five minute dedication

Sorry folks. Feeling very restless at the moment and wanted to express my thoughts with other wisened, learned colleagues

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Reveling in the misery of others helps people cope with their own mundane and pointless lives.

This is just selective reporting, nothing new in that. The number of survivors is not a good measure of the severity of a disaster anyway, unless you know the total number of people involved, in which case you might as well just report the number of fatalities and be done with it.

"243 people were not killed today as a carbomb detonated in central Baghdad." Doesn't sell as many newspapers.

but wouldn't it be better factual reporting if they said "20 dead, but 300 miraculously survived"

They usually only report the survivors if it hightens the morbidity:
"120 dead with only 3 survivors" is mor morbid than "120 dead with many survivors"

I'd like to see more technology events in the news, but that won't happen for a long time because most people are inept towards anything technology related.

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Originally Posted by Arrow_Raider

I'd like to see more technology events in the news, but that won't happen for a long time because most people are inept towards anything technology related.

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That's why I watch the Discovery Channel, and read the Wired News

Oddly, this pattern is reversed for plane crashes. Quite often, the number of survivors is listed...if there are any. Often this is "No Survivors", which might make a good reality TV series, but that's a different subject. If there are any survivors, that is usually listed.

Perhaps the rule is to list the smaller number, be it survival or death.

I have no idea whether anything I just said has any normal relationship to reality.