News coverage — the ways that events and issues are presented to the public — can have a huge impact on our perceptions, attitudes, and expectations. For example, studies have shown that the tone of news about the economy can influence people’s expectations and lead them to expect more economic booms than actually occur. These patterns can have a significant effect on people’s behaviors and ultimately on our collective futures.
In the past, journalists were motivated to sell papers by publishing stories that would draw in readers. The common saying was “if it bleeds, it leads.” Now that most people get their news online, the motivation to sell papers has turned into the need to keep viewers clicking on new stories.
As a result, many sources of news are accused of having one political bias or another and presenting skewed, inaccurate information. The problem is that many people rely on these news outlets for their daily information. And if they believe that the main sources of news are biased, they may stop reading or watching altogether.
The way a story is framed and the photos or videos that are chosen to be used can have an immense influence on how people view a conflict. For example, in US media coverage of the Israel-Hamas war, it’s been reported that some images can amplify certain aspects of the conflict and make viewers think Israel is acting more sympathetically than Palestinians are.
It’s important to have a wide variety of news sources, so that you can compare different perspectives. But it’s also important to be aware of how the news you’re reading or seeing is affecting your mental health. Research suggests that when news is triggering, people who identify with BIPOC or LGBTQ+ communities experience more negative effects than other people.
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