Does the mass media have an interest in keeping the public fearful?

Plot to blow up Heathrow jets, T.V girl’s stalking, Brit woman executed by Taliban, Alarm as violent crime soars, City worker kills wife ­­- just another average week or so in the newspaper headlines, as we are left scarcely wondering where the saying “no news is good news” comes from. More often than not, what we read about in the paper, and what we see in television reports is in many ways morbid, in most ways heart-wrenching, often tragic or saddening and rarely without the stigma of fear attached. But why? – Surely there is some good in the world? - We all know that there is. Surely the mass media can find something, many things to report on that are positive and comforting? Or is it simply in their interest to keep the public fearful?

Consider this: Every day, your chosen newspaper only ever reported on good deeds and upward turns, the news you watched at night only ever showed pleasant and heart-warming images, and ever so slowly you felt safer and more secure with each passing day. Eventually, you stopped watching the news and would rarely read the paper, as you found less and less reason to pay money to be comforted. - The mass media relies on our fear to create consumption. If we weren’t worried about where not to go at night, if we weren’t fearful of terrorism coming to our homes, if we weren’t worried about murderers, rapists, paedophiles and other criminals, if we weren’t worried about our kids becoming drug addicts, if we didn’t fear rising oil prices or dire inflation and economic times we would rarely find the need to find out where, how, when and why it was going to happen next. Granted, the mass media plays a certain role in ensuring public safety by allowing that we know these often gruesome facts, but how often are the headlines and more ambiguous details misconstrued in ways that pique our fears, and play on our often fragile emotions. How many people are going to walk past a newspaper headline that reads: Man kills family in brutal home invasion?

The human race has long been living vicariously through other people’s misery. We gain perspective and positivity in our lives by lapping up the misery that others are experiencing - whether we like it or not, and whether we are actually even aware or free to choose. We tune in to our favourite reality T.V shows to see who gets voted off next (and how many of those are saturating our screens these days!) we watch documentaries on the lives of the latest, sad freaks of nature that television producers have found in some obscure community somewhere in our world, we watch people dying in horrific accidents on the latest “World’s scariest moments caught on tape!”, and the news itself - you get what I am talking about …

So what’s my point? - The point is, while there is obviously some need for us to be aware of what bad is being done in our world, maybe the gross amount of fear that the mass media creates (almost always for their own gain) is actually perpetuating the violent crime and addictions, rising oil prices and economic hardship that we are being warned against? -Maybe the fear that is ensuring our consumption is far more real and far more prevalent than it needs to be? After all, no news is good news right?
Source


Fear is a powerful and primitive human emotion. It alerts us to the presence of danger and was critical in keeping our ancestors alive.

When we confront a perceived danger, our bodies respond in specific ways.

This physical response is sometimes known as the “fight or flight” response, in which the body prepares itself to either enter combat or run away.

This biochemical reaction is likely an evolutionary development. It is an automatic response and is crucial to survival.

Fear kept us alive and is a vital tool in keeping us alive still, but could it be possible that this basic and important human response is being used against us?

F.E.A.R - Ian Brown

For Each A Road
For Everyman A Religion
Find Everybody And Rule
F*** Everything And Rumble
Forget Everything And Remember
For Everything A Reason
Forgive Everybody And Remember


You got the fear
You got the fear
You got the fear
You got the fear
You got the fear
F.E.A.R. (You got the fear)
F.E.A.R. (You got the fear)
F.E.A.R. (You got the fear)
F.E.A.R. (You got the fear)

Finding Eternity Arouses Reactions
Freeing Excellence Affects Reality
Fallen Empires Are Ruling
Find Earth And Reap

Fantastic Expectations
Amazing Revelations
Final Execution And Resurrection
Free Expression As Revolution
Finding Everything And Realizing

You got the fear
You got the fear
You got the fear
You got the fear
You got the fear
F.E.A.R. (You got the fear)
F.E.A.R. (You got the fear)
F.E.A.R. (You got the fear)
F.E.A.R. (You got the fear)

(Fantastic Expectations
Amazing Revelations
Finding Everyone And Reuniting
For Everything A Reason)

Have you got the fear?

Thanks.

The Media supply the public with news. That keeps them in a job as reporters. To get the public's attention they go for the sensational stories. Providing news is similar to the food industry who have tweaked up salt and sugar levels, in our food, to whet the appetite and keep people coming back for more. We all know that too much salt and sugar in your diet is bad for you! The overplay on "fear" stories also damages the human psyche. Why would they do this? Greed most likely.

Fear sells!

Second line.

Being that I don't believe in the accidental theory of history,but the
conspiritorial theory,I'm convinced the media nbc,cbs,abc are heavily
controlled by the "powers that be" on a federal level.
This influence has an agenda for the american public that is immune to
administrative transition or party policy.
It's main purpose is to sustain it's existence and consolidate it's power
to the few,while maintaining an artificial atmosphere of control to the
many through elections and town hall meetings.
Many control mechanisms are employed through the use of propaganda.
This works best for the power elite when they view the target audience
as an adversary that must be subdued psychologically through the tearing down of resistance and agressive desire for change.Demoralization is another word for what
you do to those who resist the will of the authority.(Will you comply, or resist.)
Local News has nothing but Pathos and Injustice for the demoralization of the masses.
"Pity the poor clerk who got robbed,and police are asking for your help.."
No Joy,No Closure.

Nice post OP.

Fear is the tool.

It's the only constant emotion.
It doesn't change, like falling in and out of love.
It can't take anger and apologetically turn it into forgiveness.
It can't change sorrow to happiness.
etc.

Fear is fear. It scares you into absorbing everything around you to survive. This absorption includes MSM. And they know it. They can glue you to the T.V. In fact you must, or you possibly won't survive. haha.

The media's play on our fears to consume, IMO, boils down to the all mighty dollar. For a few reasons.

We are curious.
We are morbidly curious. And with the presentation of the internet and shock sites, people visited those on their own. We westerners are VERY sheltered. I admit, to wanting to see that crap, because I had never seen it before. I didn't know what it was like to watch a person die/get killed/or what they looked like after a 100 story fall. This information was ALWAYS sheltered from us, whether we wanted to see it or not.

I think the media picked up on the fact that we demanded to see what we have never seen before, so they used that to boost their ratings to line their pockets.

Their main competition is the internet. Breaking stories sometimes hit Youtube faster than the local news channel.

Writers and reporters compete with each other to make sure the latest flu bug sounds like the scariest thing on earth, so that people tune in, consume and pay $$$$$

We think, the latest information is the way to "ease" our fears. It's no different than the 'previews' of the news saying a U.F.O. was seen by the space station residents, hyping that story all hour, and at the end...the "U.F.O." was the dropped bag of tools. Yet we all stayed glued to that channel, to see the U.F.O. as well.

Similar tactic with fear. In my opinion.



[edit on 15-8-2009 by Demoncreeper]

I cant even watch the news anymore. Not only do they play the fear game, they also keep you misinformed. The American media has turned into a gossip rag. I dont care what Jon and Kate did or what celebrity did what to whom. I know Michael Jackson was a huge star, but for the love of God does CNN have to have non stop coverage for over a month?
Give me real news!

reply to post by LiveForever8


One of the best answers to your question starts at 3:10

reply to post by crw2006

Give me real news!

And that is why I come to ATS everyday, to hear what ordinary citizens have to say on the matter, and not what editors of corp. media want us to hear.

Mass media or mainstream media is used to show the news and it cannot necessarily be truth only; indeed it turns out to be mere interpretations of things happen. However, i personally think here the "Theory of Karma" works and the people who are controlling the media know it perfectly. Whenever TPTB kill people or do unjustful things through war, genocide, disease, etc. they are actually earning negative karma (negative energy release by the sufferers) so they must need as much people to participate and believe in their acts so as to alleviate their karmic debt disperse them. That is how Mainstream Media is created and it makes people to believe in their acts through lies and wrong interpretations of events and those people, who believe are actually buying into them and share the negative Karma in that way. This whole function works in very scientific way and we just do not know it. If we start opposing those heinous acts and do not buy into them; then obviously we will witness TPTB's collapse sooner.

[edit on 15-8-2009 by TheRebel]

Definitely. I think it's our fault in a way though because people like bad news better than good news. At least, they are more likely to read it.

There is no doubt in my mind the War on Terror is a war by the corporate government(s) to terrorize citizens into a constant state of fear and uncertainty so that people will constantly look to authorities and the government for cues and direction.

Will the government save the economy? You must tune in and find out! Will the government be able to give you a health care bill whether you want it or not? You must tune in and find out! Will some citizens stop the health care bill and you want it and are worried you won’t get it? You must tune in and find out! Will you be made to take a swine flu shot? You must tune in and find out! Will there be enough swine flu shots if you want one? You must tune in and find out.

Half of us fear too much is being done for us and we are made to take and accept it. Half us fear not enough is being done for us and we will suffer horribly as a result.

It doesn’t matter what side you are on, they want you terrorized and frightened at all times!

Tuning in and all times, and having emotional Newscasters and Editorialists seething with the indignation and anger and fear they want to share with you. Talk about drama queens. Always angry, always frightened, the sky is always about to fall.

People keep tuning in and watching and looking to the government.

Not good, not good at all.

I really liked Bowling for Columbine , especially that interview. Marilyn Manson's interview was more subversive than an entire shock rock career. He pointed out nothing but the truth in that interview, and truth is what will destroy TPTB.

You can see how TPTB, with Obama, has tried to wrap itself in the truth, with a sane president who claims that his anti-dissent ideology only applies to those who are completely out of line. For example, (no source, it was on CBC radio today) Obama said that the vast majority of people protesting the health care bill were doing so in a constructive manner, and pointed out that the media chooses to show only the worst. Of course, Obama and the media are largely playing the same game, so this is another example of TPTB generating a false issue and playing two sides against each other - in this case, Obama, defender of reason, vs. Big Media, the great exaggerator, to prop both sides up.

By the end of this, we will see Obama trying to restrict free speech in order to protect free speech.

The 2008 Presidential election was a prime example of just how terrible the American media has become. More specifically, the way Ron Paul (just an example! I'm not trying to stir up political opinions here) was treated during his candidacy drew my ire because it was a blatant display of favoritism, disregard for the very fundamentals of democracy, and an obvious means by which to steer public opinion toward McCain and Obama. I know this doesn't go into the fear aspect, but it does jive with the notion that the media is a tool of manipulation and control.

The media no longer provides well researched facts and information, free of opinion and bias, to the viewers. Once upon a time that was what the media strove to do. I once read an old quote that had included about ten items that went a long way in describing what the mainstream media SHOULD be. I don't think the current media fit a single one of them. It was quite disappointing.

Anyway, the media is, as I mentioned, a tool used to manipulate and control public thinking. The media TELLS people what to think. They don't inform or educate while letting the viewer form an opinion on their own. The opinion comes packaged with the rest of the so-called "information" that is reported. When Ron Paul was running for president, he was left out of nationally televised debates, made out to be a crazy old man, and regularly treated poorly during live interviews. By doing these things to him, the public was "educated" into believing that he wasn't a good candidate. Leaving him out of the debates was particularly infuriating for me because it went against everything that those debates should stand for - the chance for every candidate to express themselves to the nation - and to let the American citizens decide for themselves who to vote for. Instead, the American people were told that there are two candidates who are worthy of consideration, and that the other ones weren't anything special.

The media is trash. I wish more people would come to realize just how poorly a job their doing and, as a result, look for other places to learn what's going on in the world, and maybe even think for themselves!

Fearful sheep tend not to stray far from the shepherd and are thus easily manipulated and guided.


Keep the masses fearful, in the dark and clinging to the iron bosom of government, the great protector and provider.


They know that if we as a society ever figure out that we dont actually need them to function, they will surely be done for.


Having enlightened, educated, self sufficient citizens is bad for business.

I use to think the sky was falling until I cut my cable off. I then realized things aren't so bad after all.

reply to post by schrodingers dog

Yes. He says 'make people fear and they'll consume'. Strictly speaking, it's just 'make them insecure and they'll consume'. A bit of a hairsplitter, but the ad industry acknowledges the former (to itself, at least) quite a lot. It rejects the former.

Marilyn's right.

Audiences are passive and absorb injections of material from the media. Media works like a drug – we are duped, addicted, hypnotized.

As media is a ‘window to the world’, we accept what we read and hear without challenging. We put so much trust in the media, believing without question - Halloween 1938 – Orson Welles and War of the Worlds.

Mass media have emerged as a social institution, assuming many of the functions formerly served by traditional social institutions such as the church, school, government, and family

Mass media = mass propaganda = mass repression.