The Sydney Morning Herald, like Fox News approaches every story from the same three angles; fear, fear and more fear.

This is the front page for the Sydney Morning Herald website today;

Fear - Airport security a joke, you can be blown up by terrorists. We show you how to be safe.

Fear - Bird flu will kill you, we show you how to escape the killer epidemic.

Fear - Your child is in danger, we keep your children safe.

I have a low opinion of Fox News, not because of its statist cheer-leading, but because it uses fear constantly. The funniest one I saw was the "killer escalators". Apparently escalators maim three hundred or so people a year and "possibly kill more people" that we don't hear about because "they (not us)" hush it up. Thankfully Fox went out of their way to make me safe. Idiots. Their political discussions are couched in the same way, it is all fear, fear and more fear.

The Sydney Morning Herald is no different. Mass media is bankrupt. It does not do journalism, it does fear and titillation. It is not fit to report on news, world affairs or politics.

Part Two

I used to think it was to create a dependency, but now I just think tabloid salesmanship has hit all aspects of the media. I recall when September 11th occurred, one fo the anchors [the Canadian bloke who got cancer] was constantly asking the people he was interviewing whether everyone was panicing and screaming. He repeated the question several times with the same people, who kept replying, "No, everyone just walked out calmly".

It was like the media was trying to claim that human behaviour was not legitimized unless it was framed the way they wanted. The anchor seemed slightly ticked off that he didnt get his confession of complete panic and fear.

It is the same with the way government communicates with the people. It is an attempt to create a dependency through fear. Whether it be "keeping you safe" or interest rates. Without us, you will be screwed. We have seen a creep in the welfare too, it is now encompassing the middle classes, with benefits to buy houses, do childcare etc. The Howard tax regime, which is heavily weighted against low and middle income earners, is creating a new class of people dependent on government.

The answer of the fellow who was in the World Trade Centers on Sept 11th, and kept telling the anchor that people were handling it fine, shows the crowd wisdom. The power of the media and government is pyramidical, and highly concentrated. It is in their interests to keep the people in fear, as it creates a psychological dependency.

FUD. Fear, uncertainty and doubt.

Part Three

I am also reminded of the first time I saw Bowling for Columbine. I was dubious of it, but it was an excellent documentary. Each myth was successively busted. I am not sure why conservatives despise it so much, it comes out pro-gun. Moore discovers it is not gun ownership that is the issue, it is the media creating an environment of fear.

All their stories, headlines etc, are carefully created to gain a reaction from their audience, one that mixes apprehension and anxiety. It is how the media manipulates its audience into continuing to watch.

It works. I despise this method, but when I see it in the adverts for the News, it does grab at your anxieties. The mix of baritone voice, coupled with an anxious soundtrack and the judicous mix of words which don't tell the whole story, which is then finished with, "We show you how ..... to keep safe". Ah thank his noodly appendage, the TV will keep me safe.

My emotions are being manipulated.

It is fine to say avoid it, and I do to an extent, but the barrage is constant from all media outlets. Whether it is the titillation of Jen loves Brad loves Angela at the checkout line, or headlines proudly claiming that the Bird Flu will be an epidemic when it has only claimed two victims, or maybe even that Osama plans to kill me - whatever.

TV marketers have been trying to work out why young men in particular, aged 15-35 have been leaving the TV in droves. The internet and computer games are usually trotted out as the excuse. But it may just be, that this demographic doesn't like the media being pitched at them in this way.

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