The Media and Tragedy


Whether you click on, turn on, or scan through your daily news update, it’s probably undeniable that how that news is covered makes your head hurt or your stomach churn or riles up your anxiety. Of course, it does; it’s designed to do just that. News stories don’t just inform us about a hurricane or a shooting, or some awful tragedy; they use words and visuals selected for their ability to evoke emotion. What toll is this overly-hyped, overly-dramatic news reporting taking on our national psyche? How does it aid or hinder our proper understanding of the news? Guests Lauren Kogen, Media and Communication Professor at Temple University, and Ellen Gray, the television critic for Philadelphia Daily News/Inquirer/Philly.com, join host Sherri Hope Culver to discuss how the media sensationalizes tragedy.

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