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Topic Split: Media Coverage of Sensationalistic Events
opinionista:
This is the original post that led to the discusison:
--- Quote from: Giancarlo on September 19, 2006, 02:31:15 am ---Geez... I say take a chance in life. Don't be freaking out about everything. Spinach is better cooked anyways. When it comes to germs, this nation is full of clean freaks. If they were consistent they'd be checking out restaurants like Ihop more closely... why anyone would want to eat there is beyond me.
--- End quote ---
Well, Giancarlo here got a point. I know this e-coli outbreak is probably a serious one, but come on it is not like you can't survive without Spinach. My meaning is that sometimes this kind of warning are over sensationalized by the press. Ok, eating spinach is truly dangerous now, and I bet most kids are probably jumping with joy. However, from what I have seen the FDA is simply making a warning to avoid more cases. This is not a life or death situation, as the press is making it look like. So far there have been 114 victims distributed in 21 states and only one has died, according to CDC. This hardly makes it a major a health disaster. More people die in car accidents each day. CNN is now talking about the spinach e-coli mystery when it's well known that e-coli outbreaks are associated with improper handling at the plant, in transport or at the retailer. It's also associated with the use of certain fertilizers. This sort of reminds me of The Chicken Little tale. "The sky is falling!, the sky is falling!"
--- Quote from: latjoreme on September 20, 2006, 03:15:31 pm ---Natali, I guess you and I just read that story very differently.
--- End quote ---
We certainly are. I just realized that I no longer think like a journalist! I'm not sure if this is good news. My dissertation is about this, well about disasters. Oh well, I hope i get it back to "normal" when I fiinish.
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: opinionista on September 20, 2006, 03:33:51 pm ---We certainly are. I just realized that I no longer think like a journalist! I'm not sure if this is good news. My dissertation is about this, well about disasters. Oh well, I hope i get it back to "normal" when I fiinish.
--- End quote ---
I'm sure you'll be fine. (And thinking like a journalist isn't always a good thing! ;))
What is your dissertation about? Is it about the psychology of response to disasters, or about press coverage of disasters, or what? It sounds interesting.
On a plane a couple of years ago I sat next to a Greek psychologist whose area of expertise was the psychology of risk assessment -- the flawed ways that humans measure relative risks. I'd read a little bit about it before that, and I find it a really fascinating topic.
nakymaton:
Speaking of media panic:
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/52708: "Majority of Americans unprepared for Apocalypse"
;D ;D
(Yes, I know it's the Onion. ;D )
opinionista:
--- Quote from: latjoreme on September 20, 2006, 03:46:04 pm ---I'm sure you'll be fine. (And thinking like a journalist isn't always a good thing! ;))
What is your dissertation about? Is it about the psychology of response to disasters, or about press coverage of disasters, or what? It sounds interesting.
On a plane a couple of years ago I sat next to a Greek psychologist whose area of expertise was the psychology of risk assessment -- the flawed ways that humans measure relative risks. I'd read a little bit about it before that, and I find it a really fascinating topic.
--- End quote ---
It's about press coverage of disasters. I'm dealing with one disaster in particular: The Prestige Oil Spill disaster, that caused a huge damage on the Spanish Northern West Coast. But my dissertation is not directly related to the risk itself, but more on the politics, but I have to include some information about the perception of risks in the press in theory section. I also have to understand the teories about it. It's complex but also interesting.
What that pyschologist told you about how people measure risk is a whole discipline associated with Social Psychologist. It is called The Social Perception of Risks. There's an important author Paul Slovic who has written interesting books and articles about this, which includes the role of the press in the shaping of social perception of risk.
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: opinionista on September 20, 2006, 04:23:17 pm ---What that pyschologist told you about people measure risk is a whole discipline associated with Social Psychologist.
--- End quote ---
One example of people overestimating risks that I think is particularly troubling is child safety. Exaggerated fears of risks to children has led to drastic changes in parenting habits and in the experience of childhood itself. This is one area where I definitely hold the media responsible.
Some of those changes are for the good, I'm sure, and nobody wants to put children in danger. But modern children are safer from accident or disease than at any time in human history, yet parents are probably more paranoid than ever.
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