Panic! at the News

WHAT? OMG! Really? *amusement*

Used to feel like this when you opened the phone and read the news in the morning?

I have noticed that when I wake up and grab my phone, I already think "well, let's see what sort of headlines I will find this time" and prepare myself for a total panic mode.

It's funny because many times the actual news matter less to me than the shocking headline; what matters is the drama, joke, or fear of what is created within the headline.

But when the news starts to take this approach:

IT'S OVER FOR THE POLAR BEARS

A Triple Mutant Found!

JLO and Arod OVER!

A legend Is Gone!

...It is hard to change the course anymore.

It's like what matters the most is to get the reader in an excited state of mind (and to click the news with this storm of emotions), and not the news itself.

And yes, as a writer myself, I exaggerate too, especially in the headlines. The headline is what triggers the readers' interest and a boring one won't be noticed.

But it's not the same thing writing a blog without education in journalism compared to writing to a big media platform to millions of people with a background of journalism studies in the university.

Sometimes when I see the extravagant headlines, I imagine the journalists brainstorming together, having a laugh, and trying a figure out the most catchy and shocking headline to publish.

And I understand, competition is hard between media companies and therefore you have to take every news as the most important information the day offers. But the thing is that it has resulted making an overall exaggerated atmosphere in the news and social media.

I understand when exaggeration is used with entertainment news; actors, singers, reality tv "stars" etc. But when it is used with serious news, it feels annoying and irresponsible.

The news has become a part of entertainment and although sometimes it is fun, in the big picture it's definitely not.

Real, serious news should be informed to people without too many rhetorics because it's dangerous to direct people making opinions based on feelings.

The headline suggests that the issue is serious, but after the first feeling, you realize that it isn't. That it was just an exaggeration meaning to have your heart beating faster, and then you disappoint and after some time, you get tired of it.

After a certain time, you get tired of the punctuation marks, capital letters, and dramatic words describing non-dramatic happenings.

Eventually, this leads to a mood where you don't take the news seriously.

And when we don't care about the news, where does that leave us?

Quite ignorant about our society, our country, and the world. That's dangerous because not caring is the worst that can happen to humanity.

Or did the exaggeration now got to me too?