The media does it because sensationalism is the only thing they know. The non-sensationalist outlets went out of business a long time ago. Turns out, facts don’

The media does it because sensationalism is the only thing they know. The non-sensationalist outlets went out of business a long time ago. Turns out, facts don’t sell newspapers. The government is the same, except they are looking for votes, not sales. They have to convince you that they’re doing big, important things, and that their opponents are commie/nazis who want to kill God/send us back to the stone ages. Also, there’s a little risk of contagion, so… it isn’t totally wrong to talk about that. My cynical 2 cents. It explains almost all of the silly behavior I hear about from my more political friends.