If The News Were Good

I've been thinking about something the last few weeks. Everytime we, (well i can only speak for myself), see the local news, it seems that it is nothing more than a outlet for all the bad things that happened that day.

True the news is helpful-sometimes, but overall I would say that news, and the media in general is geared toward shaping the opinions of people. It also gives people a reason to be scared or feel we need police to come in with their mighty nightsticks and save us from the angry black and latino kids selling or taking drugs on the corner. Or lock your doors so the crazy white male wont come in, abduct you and take you off to disect you.

Dont get me wrong we do need police, and we should be concerned sometimes about who is roaming our neighborhood. But don't try to make my wife and kids scared to go out at night. What if the news showed positive things instead of negative all the time?

Does anyone feel that would influence the community in a way that would cause us to be a more peaceful,or tolerant people?

maathotep,
The main reason that you primarily only see the negative being blasted all over the media is because it sells.
People not just in the US but all over the world would rather slow down and see the dead bodies lieing around a car wreck or watch waiting for a jumer to jump than they would if firemen were out there saving people etc.
Example, there was a news story aboout a mother dof that was found in the ruins of a building by firemen after they had put out the fire. The fire was a blazing inferno. The dog, actually was protecting it's pups and according to the report, all had made it safely.
That news story received, barely, 15 seconds of air time. It was actually only used as a "sound bite". The news stations, TV, radio, as well as the printed press were more interested in the evils that were going on around the world such as the Teri Shaivo issue or the MS-13 gangs threatening to kill the minutemen along the Arizona border.

Both the Shiavo case and the minutemen issue were both very important, but do you really think that they were important enough that they had to be hashed and rehashed 24/7? Theese two stories were seen by the media as a tool that they could use to sell more newspapers get more listeners and to basically rile the people up just so that the media can sell more of their product and to further their political agendas.

Think about it, with our troops being overseas in SE Asia, how many positive news stories have you seen or heard about coming from Iraq or Afghanistan? If you are lucky, you might have heard of maybe one or two quick stories. Now, how many negative news stories have you heard about.
See what I mean?

The media makes a point to share mainly negative events, which does sell. So this makes me wonder why it sells. Based on the popularity of horror movies, I'd say that most humans have a sick desire to hear about death, destruction, pain and suffering. People like to see dead bodies, blood, terror, and fear. I, not finding any intrigue in tragedy, am bewildered to learn how much the general public supports and adores these stories. Why do people enjoy other's calamities? Does the media tell the people they're supposed to desire this kind of information, or is it something more complex? Perhaps learning of another person's pain makes one feel better about their own. If that is the case, then my conception of the human race is true... and it is a sick, sad little world we live in.

I think the contrary. I think the whole idea that someone has it worst is all that keeps some people going. And the news help them think that.