OPINION JOURNALISM
Are we Addicted to Negative News?
It’s a rare occurrence for good news to make headlines, but bad news is like a car crash that we can’t seem to look away from
Are we addicted to negative news?
I repeatedly asked myself this question while writing for my university’s student-run newspaper.
No matter which news source I visit, I’m faced with negative stories everywhere. From politics to world affairs to entertainment, there seems to be more negative articles than positive ones, and I ask myself, why?
We’re Hard Wired for Bad News
Our brains are wired to pay closer attention to life-threatening situations and bad news. A vital part of the brain’s temporal lobe, the amygdala, is a warning system that is always alert in case of danger. Psychologists call our innate tendency to be more attracted to bad news negativity bias.
Media understands negativity bias and takes advantage of it, showing us what it thinks we want to see. Since the 1970s news has gotten increasingly more negative. Today, 90 per cent of news is negative.
Are we attracted to bad news because it satisfies something deep within us to see chaos?
Some may suggest that it’s easier for us to cheer on the downfall of stranger’s lives. Perhaps reading an article about a celebrity scandal provides us with relief that those well off in society aren’t perfect. Perhaps reading a story about your favourite sports team’s biggest rival being on a five game losing streak brings you joy.
The above examples are trivial in the grand scheme of things, but might help to explain why we gravitate towards bad news. Even when that news is much darker than celebrity and sports drama. We are influenced, for better or for worse, by the types of stories we consume the most.
“Humanity is Doomed”
An international poll that surveyed 10,000 people aged 16 to 25 in ten different countries found that a majority of young people agreed to statements such as “humanity is doomed.” Negativity bias likely plays a role in these gloomy sentiments, especially when most news is readily available at any time online.
When we consume news online, we do so actively meaning that we interact with it through likes, shares, and comments. Active consumption of bad news can have adverse effects on mental health and well-being. Three minutes of bad news alone can ruin a person’s mood for the rest of the day.
Some Good News?
The early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic was linked to rising cases of anxiety, depression, and stress. These mental health concerns are the reason John Krasinski started a YouTube series in 2020 called Some Good News. His goal was to create a news show dedicated to only sharing good news stories. It was evident that among all the chaos of Covid-19, people were desperate to interact with feel good news.
An international survey from Oxford’s Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found that worldwide the trust in the media was decreasing and people were beginning to avoid the news altogether. People are starting to crave something new, something good.
My Negativity Bias
I’ve definitely played a part in contributing to the over saturation of bad news. Over the last year, a majority of the articles I’ve written have been negative. I have my own negativity bias in that I enjoy researching and writing about topics that have negative connotations.
One of my main goals in writing has been to increase awareness on tough topics such as climate change. However, awareness can be raised by talking about good news too and can inspire people to make positive change. Sharing positive news is something I’ve neglected to do for the most part.
Upon reflection, I think I’ve had the preexisting notion that awareness about pressing issues can only be raised through negative articles. I’ve come to realize, in researching for this article, that it’s one thing to be informed and to inform others on a topic and another thing to be constantly exposed to negativity.
I’ve written about what I think are some very dark topics. I’ve noticed that while writing these pieces, feelings of depression and anxiety are heightened. The state of the world often leaves me feeling angry and helpless. If I’m struggling to write these pieces, then I’m sure that people who’ve read my work have felt similar.
Finding Balance
I don’t want to be in a constant state of negativity. I still want to write about tough topics, but I want to do so in a way that leaves me and readers in a state of balanced emotions, negative and positive. For example, I want to write pieces that discuss the failure of politicians to address climate change and pieces that highlight amazing work being done by local initiatives to mitigate environmental degradation.
The purpose of journalism is to seek out the truth and report on it. But as, I’ve come to learn, the truth can be both negative and positive. The world can be bad, but it can also be very good, so journalism should reflect both sides.
Thank you for reading!
Stay nerdy, friends :)
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