Sunday, March 08, 2009
Towards things negative
I asked another friend why The Filipino Channel (TFC) news programming seemed to be dealing too much on subjects like incestuous rapes, ranting rallyists, crimes, anything negative about the government, the Philippines, someone else, etc., like they seemed (to me) as drooling over things that put down Filipinos' sense of pride.
Then my friend said: would you watch it if they are positive in their news programming?
True: the gorier the headline is, the more people buy it. It's like we are enjoying every bit of information that narrates someone else's misery and misfortune. Isn't it cruel?
(Sidebar: Read Sardonyx's comic post about how headlines can take us for a ride).
Ohio State University psychologist John T. Cacioppo, Ph.D., said that it is due to the brain's "negativity bias": "your brain is simply built with a greater sensitivity to unpleasant news."
Hence, in order for newspapers or tv programs to sell their goods, they would zero-in on the negative aspect of the news.I remember a joke somewhat related to this.
One reported asked someone prominent (let's call him SP): Who's your favorite actor, Joseph Estrada or Fernando Poe Jr?
SP responded: Joseph?
The next day, the headline reads: SP hates FPJ, goes for Erap.
Twisted. We all are so twisted.
Confession: I sometimes take my anger in bed. Whenever I have an argument with someone, I would lie in bed playing countless scenes in my mind mainly about how I can get even or how I can take my revenge. So, so unhealthy.
At home, I had my (shameful) share of instilling a negativity bias to my niece. Five years ago, Jillian knocked over the bird cage by accident. Up until now I still remember how her face looked as I angrily pointed my finger at her: blank, frightened, sorry. And then she wailed. A five year old girl, wailing. How cruel can I get! I know that she'll forever remember that moment as her most painful encounter with her evil uncle. It really is shameful and I promised never to do it again. (Painfully, I still sometimes cuss and swear when I'm mad. I hate myself for doing that and I keep reminding myself to be a cool uncle, not a ranting kontrabida!).
A friend, just this morning, answered me back and when I asked him why he was bitching at me , he said: I'm just being you! That hurt me but I kept silent because deep inside I know it's true.
So I learned my lessons well. Don't be the cause of other people's negative bias and they'll never cause your's.
"That magic ratio is five to one."
A reading from Psychology Today on the same subject states that it takes five good deeds to erase a negativity bias that you caused someone.
Not big occasional positive steps but a frequent small positive experiences. That, the literature said, should tip the scales of negative bias toward happy, positive results.
Oh dear, I've a lot of work to do. And I've got to start soon.
Kapansin-pansin nga ang kaibahan ng mga headlines at nilalaman ng balita ng Filipino at Australian news. Madalas nga trivial ang pagbabalita nila rito. Minsan nga naisip ko na siguro ganu'n na talaga kaganda, wala na talagang suliranin ang bansang Australia...
Kasi naman maging headline ng morning news ang isang koalaNG nasagasaan, ngunit buhay pa, maraming fractures at nasa pagamutan! Whew!
Naalala ko noong August 2008, habang ang Australia'y nagbabalita ng kung ilang medalyang ginto na ang nakuha nila sa Beijing Olympics at kung paano maisalba ang natutuyong Murray River dito; ang Pilipinas ay nagbabalita ng tungkol sa di pagkakaunawaan ng magkasalungat na panig tungkol sa isyu ng pagpapalawak ng ARMM dahil 'yon ang hinihingi ng MILF. Whew ulit!
Ngayon hindi ko rin alam kung talaga bang sinasadyang maging negatibo ang headlines (para lang makakuha ng manonood) o talagang negatibo naman talaga ang mga balita...
the society nurtures negativism. it's everywhere. in the movies, music, etc.
kelangna na yata natin ng anger management, hehe! para akong laging high-blood. hehe!
---
thanks for the drop btw :)
I think that's how you convince people to watch or read the news. The more odd the story is the more interesting it is for viewers to watch or read it.
May ginawa nga akong hula about headlines eh ( Ithink 2 days ago), syempre sa title palang dapat interesting na hehehe parang may kaugnayan yata dito yun?? yun nga lang malayo na malabo hehehe
http://hulascoop.blogspot.com/2009/03/hula-scoop-huminahon-ka-sa-balitang.html
hay buhay nkakahighblood pa watching news tinalo pa ang mga teleserye sa pag entertain kaysa pag inform sa mga tao na ito ay balita exaggerated masyado ang pagkakadeliver lol may mga banyaga tuloy na nakakasabi na ang pangit sa pinas at magulo kaya sa pinapatay namin ang tv sa sala pag balita na kaya doon kami sa loob ng kwarto nanunuod lol nakakahiya sa mga banyaga lol so depressing
Salamat po sa dalaw.
RJ: Siguro din dahil we are a poor nation and that our country is in constant turmoil kaya lahat ng balita medyo patungkol sa mga nagaganap na kaguluhan. Kung tayo sana'y masaganang bansa at lahat ng tao ay nagkakaisa, I'm sure ang headline natin would be somewhat different. Pansin ko lang kasi, we Pinoys tend to look at the dark side of life. Siguro rin mali ako...
Luke: Siguro nga ganun kaya madalas maghit ang mga feel-good movies. Like Slumdog, for example.
Sardonyx: Nilink ko ung post me about headlines. Para naman magkaroon ng ngiti ang aking somewhat very serious mode of writing.
Mightydacz: True. And I don't know if that's what the people want kaya ginagawa ng mga tv stations. O ginugusto lang ng mga tao manood because they don't have a choice. Ako, I never watch TFC news. I never watch SOCO. I never watch SNN.
The quality of news broadcasting in television, radio and prints is generally bias toward sensationalism in our country which fails to promote responsible journalism.
Mas malaking oras ang inilalaan sa pagbabalita tungkol crime news events, political mudslinging, graft and corruptions, at mga balitang eskandalo na kinasasangkutan ng rich and famous sa lipunan kabilang na rin ang nasa entertaiment industry.