Freakonomics Radio 477. Why Is U.S. Media So Negative?
5 snips
Oct 7, 2021 
Guest Bruce Sasserdote, an economist at Dartmouth, reveals how U.S. media exploits our negativity bias for profit, particularly during COVID-19 coverage. Steve Rathje, a Cambridge PhD candidate, discusses the virality of negative messaging on social media and its impact on political polarization. Together, they explore why sensationalist narratives dominate journalism and what this means for public perception. The conversation emphasizes the need for more balanced reporting and the potential for encouraging positivity amidst pervasive negativity.
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Sacerdote's Frustration
- Bruce Sacerdote, an economist, felt frustrated with the negative COVID news coverage.
- He questioned if U.S. media was overly negative compared to other sources.
Pessimism in Media
- While tech thrives on optimism, major media outlets might thrive on pessimism.
- Sacerdote suspected this was driven by profit maximization.
Media Negativity Research
- Sacerdote's research analyzed COVID coverage across different media types.
- They used word counting to measure negativity/positivity in the coverage.
