by Dawn M. O'Neal

Created on: January 15, 2009

Today's information age is steeped in news media sources. Everywhere we turn, the news of the day is readily available at any time day or night. We have many options when it comes to catching up on the news. There are newspapers, our local television news stations, prime-time network news, news channels on satellite and cable, and let's not forget, the internet.

No matter where we look to get our news, we can assuredly find bad news reported at every turn. Our culture has become saturated in bad news. The news media regularly prides itself on who can report the most gruesome, depressing, outrageous news stories to its viewers and readers. The bigger the story, the better chance the media has of gaining and keeping one's attention focused on it.

So, why is our society so mesmerized by bad news? We constantly complain that there is never any good news to be found anymore. Yet, when a heartwarming story does hit the press, we're moved for a moment and quickly retreat back to the dark side of the news world.

The truth of the matter is bad news sells and draws our attention to it like flies to honey. We can't get enough of it. If a news story has an edge or twist to it, we'll drop everything we're doing to tune in' to follow every single detail.

An example that comes to mind of this is the infamous O. J. Simpson Bronco chase that took place June 14, 1994. The world watched with baited breath as Al Cowling drove O. J. for miles down a California highway. People on the freeway, pulled over, got out of their cars and stood on the side of the road cheering O. J. and his co-conspirator on as they passed by. At home, viewers watched. Some cheered right along with those on their television sets. And no matter the hour or the amount of time elapsed, we weren't going anywhere until we knew O. J. had either been apprehended or learned that he'd taken his own life in a moment of utter desperation.

As part of being human, we are designed to be less than perfect. It's not in our makeup to see and view the world as perfect, when, we, ourselves, fall short. Since the beginning of time, good versus bad has ruled in the world. What's good is boring and what's bad is exciting. The news media knows this and makes this their primary goal to captivate us in every way imaginable.

It doesn't take much to overwhelm us these days. Society has become an evil one in which we live. It's not hard for the news media to seek out bad news and report it. The hard part comes in being competitive in the media rating's game. For the media it is all about the ratings. Much like prime-time television, the better the story, the better the ratings. The media is in the business to make a buck just like the next person. And they figured out long ago what sells and what doesn't.

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