THE NEGATIVE MEDIA: Must It Bleed To Lead?

BY ARTHUR CHRENKOFF
Monday, October 11, 2004 12:01 a.m. EDT

I struggled to find some good news.

The picture painted by the news stories was bleak: another suicide attack, a shootout with armed militants, soldiers dying in an ambush, a man accused of collaborating with the hated occupiers executed by parties unknown, property destruction causing resentment among the locals, hostile noises from the neighbors, another condemnation from international community, and at home political instability and accusations of corruption at the highest level. There was hardly anything about economy and enterprise, nothing about culture and civil society, barely a glimpse of any positive development or an indication that something, somewhere, might be going right.

After about 10 minutes I gave up trying to find some good news from Israel.

Nothing better illustrates the media's inbuilt preference for the negative aspects of life. Even if one were to remove every last ounce of political bias from the Middle East reporting, it is very likely that we would still end up with a never-ending litany of violence, mayhem and disaster dominating our newspapers and news bulletins--not for any other reason than, as old newshounds like to say, "If it bleeds, it leads." Quite simply, to journalists and editors the world over, stories of terrorism, warfare, conflict, controversy and corruption not only seem more interesting and worthwhile; they also make for a far more spectacular and exciting footage. And so, if Israel, which--particularly by the regional standards--enjoys a thriving democracy, a growing economy and a healthy civil society--ends up in the news only for the wrong reasons, what chance is there for Iraq, which still has a considerable way to go before it catches up to the Israeli standards of security, prosperity and civility?

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