You Are What You Read

This is because the mind tricks us into thinking that the more we hear about something, the more prevalent it is.

1. The person or people who see the news happen – they see this event selectively; some things are noticed and some are not.
2. The reporter who talks to the initial source(s). They decide which facts to pass along, how to shape the story and which parts to emphasise.
3. The editor, who receives the story and decides to cut, add, change or leave as is.
4. The aggregated broadcast channels. Some news stories make it to the big screen; completed and submitted by editors, these news stories are now at the mercy of the broadcaster, who decides which ones to show on the national news channel.
5. If the story goes overseas, further gatekeepers will decide if it is worthy of their time, regardless of whether it is broadcast or print.

the news ‘must hold a mirror behind the nation and the world

Because most of the stories we hear about in the news are not ones that we experience first-hand, we depend on the media to inform us on them and essentially construct this ‘reality’ for us.

This is because the way information is processed in our minds makes us unable to distinguish between media and non-media inputs.1 This means that a media narrative can become the functional equivalent to personal experience, creating memories, shaping knowledge and founding beliefs in the same way as other genuine experiences in our lives.2

The only type of violence that appears to be growing is terrorism – and even this threat, while tragic, aggressive and real, is still enormously overestimated. The average European is seven times more likely to die from falling down the stairs than be killed from a terrorist attack.

This is because the news is an invisible but powerful influence on our thoughts, telling us not only what to think about (by deciding what is reported) but also how to think about it (through news frames and organisational bias).

those who know the why of anything will always find the how.

The information that we imbibe will turn into emotions, thoughts, actions and behaviours. The consequences are less visible but just as potent

those who know the why of anything will always find the how