Why is The News Always Bad?

We could all use a little good news couldn’t we?  Indeed bad news is all around us.  All you need to do is turn on the television, click on your favorite news website, listen to some talk radio, or pick up a newspaper, any newspaper, and your will get your fill of bad news.

Yes, all of the media is chocked full of the depressing, shocking, and horrendous.  Every source from the most respected news agencies to tabloid rags are in the fray.  You may ask why.  Why is all you see, hear, and read about bad?  The answer is quite simple.  Because that’s what you want.

You want to hear about the gore of the latest mass killing.  You want to see the carnage.  You absolutely live for the depressing.  Fourteen killed at a community college, “Wow, I have to read about that.” you think to yourself as you try to picture the scene in your mind.  The economy is spiraling down like a plane with one wing, your mind races “Oh yeah that’s just what I though was going to happen.” Just face it, you live for this stuff.

Now we are back to the question of why.  Why does bad news sell?  And mind you, we are talking about selling here.  The reason why it sells is because good news is boring.  Good news is boring because it is all around you.  Good news encompasses the whole of your life.  To make the point, think about your daily routine.

You wake up and get out of bed.  No harm there.  You get ready, get the kids off to school, get to work, drive home, cook dinner, help with homework, and off to bed to do it all over again tomorrow.  Sounds familiar doesn’t it?  Nothing in that little scenario is going to stop the presses.  There may be a few variations from day to day, but it is all basically the same.  It’s all boring. 

Let’s take a closer look at that boring day shall we?  What you have really done is prove that first, you’re alive (that’s the waking up part). Second, you have a family.  Third, you have a job.  Fourth, you have a car or some reliable sort of transportation.  Fifth, you have food to cook and eat.  Sixth, your children are in school and learning. Finally seventh, you have a nice comfortable bed in which to rest your weary body.  That is all good news. Furthermore, 95% of America has some variation of this same good news.  We are bored beyond belief with good news.