Fri Jun 07 2024

Media Bias Towards Negativity and Catastrophe:

• The bias in news media skews towards negativity and catastrophe rather than political leanings like left or right.
• This bias is not exclusive to news makers but also shared by news audiences, influencing the stories that gain attention.
• Trust in various institutions such as government, big business, small business, finance, Hollywood, police, college, and scientists has decreased due to this negative bias.
• Negative reporting can lead to intense institutional mistrust and biases against incumbents.

Impact of Fake Facts on News Media:

• A significant fake fact about the U.S. having the highest rate of maternal mortality was discussed.
• Recent changes in measuring maternal mortality led to an overestimation of deaths due to a pregnancy checkbox on death certificates causing measurement errors.
• Studies revealed up to 30% of women counted as pregnant were not actually pregnant at the time of their death.

Challenges with Catastrophizing Issues:

• Catastrophizing issues can result in short-term policy misdirections and erode long-term credibility for activists and scientific communicators.
• Examples from COVID times illustrated how false catastrophic thinking could lead to harmful policies and loss of public trust.
• Overemphasizing crises may cause audience fatigue, reduce prioritization of concerns, and create distrust among policymakers and the public.

Negativity Bias in News Media:

• Negativity bias and catastrophe are the most significant biases in news media, influencing both news makers and audiences.
• The audience plays a crucial role in shaping what is presented in the news due to their behavior and preferences for negative content.
• Communicating complex truths requires care and nuance, especially evident in evolving topics like the discussion around masks during the pandemic.
• The public's perception of mainstream news being biased towards negativity can lead to a lack of attention to important nuances in reporting.

Advice for News Consumers:

• Consumers should consider people's incentives when receiving information from various sources, understanding that biases exist across all actors involved.
• It is essential for consumers to be aware of their own biases and incentives while consuming news media.
• Recognizing the symbiotic relationship between news media and its audience is crucial, as both parties influence each other's behaviors and content preferences.

Good on Paper Podcast by The Atlantic:

• "Good on Paper" hosted by Jerusalem Demsas at The Atlantic investigates narratives that have spun out of control or gone past their skis, aiming to bring narrative violations to light.
• The podcast delves into topics such as remote work dynamics, maternal mortality crisis misconceptions, immigration narratives, public health issues, civil rights movement perspectives, among others.
• Providing a wonky exploration of complex policy issues with a focus on debunking misleading or oversimplified narratives.