How do the motivations of the press often lead to more coverage of dramatic or high-conflict stories than less "exciting" news?

What will be an ideal response?


The press is motivated to produce news that attracts and holds audiences. This leads journalists to cover immediate events more than long-term policy issues and to emphasize stories with conflict or crime rather than less exciting stories. Especially after the introduction of cable news and widespread choice in televised news, a greater focus on entertainment in news story style has been used to attract viewers. Local news stations have specifically emphasized crime stories to attract and keep an audience. In the early 1990s "If it bleeds it leads" became the mantra of local TV news, and crime became the most heavily reported national issue.

Political Science

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