This is a problem of amplification. The modern media greatly amplifies any small incident, and to many people this translates into a high probability threat th

This is a problem of amplification. The modern media greatly amplifies any small incident, and to many people this translates into a high probability threat that they need to urgently pay attention to. Also, when incidents are reported no additional contextual information is given which would permit the viewer/reader to better evaluate the situation. This was especially true with some of the vaccination and food scares, which to the casual observer appear highly alarming but are statistically insignificant.