I'm an immigrant to the USA from a different western country and I think the US media is just further along in creating clickbait than most other western countr

I'm an immigrant to the USA from a different western country and I think the US media is just further along in creating clickbait than most other western countries. Part of that is likely because unlike many western countries the USA does not have a major government-funded media outlet. The stories in the media are always tilted towards outrage, fear, or hate because those base emotions are what drive clicks. The reality on the ground is much different. I often travel for work so I spend time in lots of different major US cities, they are clean, have low crime, and American's are generally very friendly. Granted I don't travel to the worst parts of major US cities, but I've travelled enough places in the world to know that in some cities all the parts are dangerous, and we're a long way from that.