Three Articles

The article “Extreme Reality: How Media Coverage Exaggerates Risks and Dangers” give insight on the way the media exploits the publics lack of knowledge. The media owns all of the information that it expels. Because of this, they can twist the story in any way they want to. Depending on what network, some news can be twisted to benefit its networks personal beliefs or wants. The article talks about the 2001 shark attacks and how the media put the nation, not just those who actually live near the ocean and sharks, into a panic. A more recent example of this is the swine flu epidemic. It seems that recently no one can turn on the news without seeing a horrific headline about swine flu. I believe that the news networks have blown the epidemic so far out of proportion that the nation is in a constant panic over it.
The second article is called “The Female Fear Factor.” This article talks about how news programs aimed at women follow specific guidelines that are meant to catch women’s attention. They pinpoint things that seem to make any women, especially those with a strong motherly instinct, afraid not to purchase something. It says that the three things that cooers women into purchasing things or feeling a need to get something are fear, endangerment to a child, and a distraught mother. In the article, she discusses that she had seen a commercial for a flame-retardant mattress. By portraying that if there is a fire, that the mattress will burn, this constitutes the fear. Then the commercial shows how this can endanger a child, which in turn makes mothers and women everywhere distraught. These ads, stories, and commercials manipulate women’s minds into thinking that the really need something in order to be safe and to keep their families safe. This article has many true and strong points. Companies know how to manipulate our minds. The play off of our fear in order to make a profit.
The last article is titled “Growing Up in a Culture of Fear: From Columbine to Banning of MySpace.” This article discusses how the media only portrays the bad in our world. In doing so, they have created a nation of fear. We all live in constant fear of the next horrific thing. In the article, it uses the Columbine shootings as an example of this. After the school shooting, the nation went into a constant fear that this would happen again and often. People lived in fear to send their children to school. The article really proved how fearful and scared the media makes all of us.