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They wouldn't use scare tactics if it didn't work. As much as people complain that there's no "good" news on television anymore, the bad news is apparently what the people want. And what's the best way to draw them in? Scare the bejeezus out of them-or at least try to.

The classic way the local channels do it is some contrived potential "disaster." This is the kind of thing you'll hear around 8:30 in between commercials. "Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Is your home at risk? Tune in at 10 to find out."

So, ten o'clock rolls around and they lead off with the president's latest lie and then go into a story about this local politician's latest scandal or that movie star's latest bout with rehab. Then they break for commercial and tell you to stay tuned for their "feature story" about carbon monoxide poisoning.

All right. Now the commercial ends and they go to the feature which ends up being a lot of facts and figures which you would never have paid attention to if they hadn't asked you if you were at risk. In the end, it turns out you are only at risk if your home was built above an abandoned carbon monoxide manufacturing plant. There's no story. There never was a story. But they suckered you in. And now they figure, probably rightfully so, that you'll stay tuned for the rest of the broadcast.

They've been using these scare tactics for decades now. Now, would they use them if they didn't work? I don't think so. The name of the game is ratings. Bigger ratings means you can charge more for commercial time and that is the bottom line. If good news sold, they dish it out with ladles.

The only way to stop the scare tactics is to stop playing into them. Bad local television news and the non-stories they report. Are you at risk?

Learn more about this author, Paul Schingle.
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