“If it bleeds, it leads.” This is a slogan that describes the type of stories that make the newspapers and news channels. Most news stories are told for their entertainment value; for example, the litter of kittens stuck in a storm drain being rescued. People generally tend to prefer stories about true-crime, disaster, and heart-warming stories than national and inter-national issues. Newscasters and reporters hone in on this human tendency and report on sensational stories that grab the audience’s attention. A great example of this tendency can be seen from the weeks following the death of Michael Jackson. The news outlets ignored other critical newsworthy issues to focus on the circumstances surrounding his passing. This is damaging citizens perspectives of what really goes on in America; leading us to think certain events happen more frequently than they really do. When people are asked to rank the number of deaths from certain events, their interpretation of these occurrences is skewed partly due to media reports. For example, people tend to rank tornado deaths higher than asthma deaths.
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