CNN produces Gothic horror, and this is a problem | Bryan Alexander - 0 views
bryanalexander.org/...c-horror-and-this-is-a-problem
media CNN TV television gothic horror fear opinion
shared by Ed Webb on 27 Mar 18
- Cached
-
Remember that for *decades* American violent crime has gone steadily down, but most Americans have been convinced we lived under a nightmarish crime siege. CNN plays a key role in that, as I and others have shown. CNN has continuously celebrated violent crime stories far, far out of proportion to their reality.
-
As an information source, CNN helped skew Americans’ sense of reality in terms of violent crime. As things got better, they took exquisite care to make sure we thought they were the opposite. Why does this matter?
-
remember that Trump won in 2016 in part by arguing that America was under siege from violent crime. Who do you think convinced about 1/4th of American voters of this idea? Social media played some role, which is in the public eye now, but tv’s huge role is underappreciated
- ...3 more annotations...
-
A key driver for gun ownership is self defense. CNN teaches viewers that they live in a dangerous hellscape, with terror about to attack at any moment. Put another way, CNN is the NRA’s best secret friend
-
I think if CNN is truly possessed of world class storytellers, they could turn heart disease into a gripping narrative. (Might I recommend a certain book on the subject?) They could also choose not to flog a relative handful of crime stories into a national terror wave. Instead they very carefully selected the violent crime horror route.
-
This is Gothic puffery, a deliberate act of fearmongering, with consequences. And we’re not holding CNN and its ilk accountable. It’s time we should.