5 ms·

Why was Fox News so able to induce such hysteria in these people, though? (Admittedly, that's less comfortable to think about than just complaining about what F

Why was Fox News so able to induce such hysteria in these people, though? (Admittedly, that's less comfortable to think about than just complaining about what Fox does.)

Carltonian 13y ago
It leveraged the News's status as an integral part of the democratic process to undermine and influence that process. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacturing_Consent:_The_Political_Economy_of_the_Mass_Media http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacturing_Consent:_The_Poli... covers the how.
gojomo 13y ago
There's a human 'set point' for fear. If there aren't enough real things of which to be afraid, the mind will latch onto the next-most-credible things, even if relatively farfetched. With current long lives, lower crime, domestic peace, reasonable prosperity, and social insurance, there's a lot less to genuinely fear, in the US, than ever before. Without the challenges and stresses of full-time, market work, the retired are especially lacking in 'common project' or 'tribal team' fears (as opposed to say personal-health or relationship fears). Politics, among other industries, competes to answer this craving for objects-of-fear. The cable-news/permanent-political-campaign/crusading-government-busybodies nexus is an extremely efficient, low-cost, high-emotional-salience provider. Small staffs, recurring themes, and grandiose good-vs-evil narratives can be constantly redeployed, as a neverending modern fairy-tale with the added sheens of 'reality' and 'import'. Compare also: the hygiene hypothesis, for how an immune system unchallenged by real threats may tend towards misguided allergic or autoimmune overreactions.
- glenra 13y ago
  I would just add that being overly afraid of Fox News, the Tea Party, and/or the Koch brothers is part of the exact same phenomenon.

5 ms·

Why was Fox News so able to induce such hysteria in these people, though? (Admittedly, that's less comfortable to think about than just complaining about what F

by badman_ting 13y ago

Why was Fox News so able to induce such hysteria in these people, though? (Admittedly, that's less comfortable to think about than just complaining about what Fox does.)

Carltonian 13y ago
It leveraged the News's status as an integral part of the democratic process to undermine and influence that process. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacturing_Consent:_The_Political_Economy_of_the_Mass_Media http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacturing_Consent:_The_Poli... covers the how.
gojomo 13y ago
There's a human 'set point' for fear. If there aren't enough real things of which to be afraid, the mind will latch onto the next-most-credible things, even if relatively farfetched. With current long lives, lower crime, domestic peace, reasonable prosperity, and social insurance, there's a lot less to genuinely fear, in the US, than ever before. Without the challenges and stresses of full-time, market work, the retired are especially lacking in 'common project' or 'tribal team' fears (as opposed to say personal-health or relationship fears). Politics, among other industries, competes to answer this craving for objects-of-fear. The cable-news/permanent-political-campaign/crusading-government-busybodies nexus is an extremely efficient, low-cost, high-emotional-salience provider. Small staffs, recurring themes, and grandiose good-vs-evil narratives can be constantly redeployed, as a neverending modern fairy-tale with the added sheens of 'reality' and 'import'. Compare also: the hygiene hypothesis, for how an immune system unchallenged by real threats may tend towards misguided allergic or autoimmune overreactions.
- glenra 13y ago
  I would just add that being overly afraid of Fox News, the Tea Party, and/or the Koch brothers is part of the exact same phenomenon.