Politics focuses on the Negative

[Cooky]

Does it seem like political news and discussions focus on the negative more often than not? Do you think it's because, progression is so slow,the only things we have to talk about are failures and faults? Because nothing much is happening?

.. What if things moved faster? Do you think that would help us to focus on the positive more? Because I refuse to believe it's just part of our nature.

 

[HonestJoe]

Does it seem like political news and discussions focus on the negative more often than not? Do you think it's because, progression is so slow,the only things we have to talk about are failures and faults? Because nothing much is happening?

That's a bit like asking why doctors spend so much time with sick people. Once the patients get healthy, they don't need the doctor any more.

Politics is essentially about making things better (not-withstanding all the people who abuse it for other motives and reasons). Once something is working well, it doesn't have much relevance to politics any more. Note that it can still be relevant to government, which is entirely different.

 

[Nakosis]

Does it seem like political news and discussions focus on the negative more often than not? Do you think it's because, progression is so slow,the only things we have to talk about are failures and faults? Because nothing much is happening?

.. What if things moved faster? Do you think that would help us to focus on the positive more? Because I refuse to believe it's just part of our nature.

Since it is unlikely that you will be able to change the nature of politics, best to limit your exposure to it, IMO.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Because nothing much is happening?

Yeah ... that must be it.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Does it seem like political news and discussions focus on the negative more often than not? Do you think it's because, progression is so slow,the only things we have to talk about are failures and faults? Because nothing much is happening?

.. What if things moved faster? Do you think that would help us to focus on the positive more? Because I refuse to believe it's just part of our nature.

If you want more positivity in politics, look to your left.

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/jack-layton-s-last-letter-to-canadians-1.991992

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Does it seem like political news and discussions focus on the negative more often than not? Do you think it's because, progression is so slow,the only things we have to talk about are failures and faults? Because nothing much is happening?

.. What if things moved faster? Do you think that would help us to focus on the positive more? Because I refuse to believe it's just part of our nature.

I wish. I posted some positive news and even people on RF shot it down uncaring. I don't watch the news because of it.

 

[ChristineM]

Does it seem like political news and discussions focus on the negative more often than not? Do you think it's because, progression is so slow,the only things we have to talk about are failures and faults? Because nothing much is happening?

.. What if things moved faster? Do you think that would help us to focus on the positive more? Because I refuse to believe it's just part of our nature.

Negative sells copy.

 

[Vinayaka]

As a corollary, I think voting has become more about who you don't want in, rather than who you do want in.

 

[stvdv]

Does it seem like political news and discussions focus on the negative more often than not? Do you think it's because, progression is so slow,the only things we have to talk about are failures and faults? Because nothing much is happening?

.. What if things moved faster? Do you think that would help us to focus on the positive more? Because I refuse to believe it's just part of our nature.

IMO: Politics is about Power and Control. It's best to create fear, then it's easier to Control the people and gain the desired Power. Hence I avoid it.

 

[Polymath257]

As a corollary, I think voting has become more about who you don't want in, rather than who you do want in.

That's how it's been since I started voting. Nothing recent there.

 

[Polymath257]

Negative sells copy.

Bingo!

The way to sell news is to get emotions riled up. That is easier with negative news than it is with positive news.

Also, negative news tends to be more immediate and positive news tends to be longer-term. That makes negative news something that can be updated daily, hourly, etc, while positive news gets updated yearly.

But, we *do* see positive news: the vaccines are getting distributed (but the news points out the kinks), overall crime is decreasing (but the next crime still gets attention), space probes send back amazing pictures and information (but they only hold headlines briefly).

 

[sun rise]

Negative sells copy.

That's true in the general case.

But I wondered about the media coverage of the meeting between President Biden and 10 Republican Senators. So I did a search biden republicans covid bill when:7d . I found as I expected a variation in headlines with quite a few negative ones.

I found the NPR headline neutral which I'd expect given their lack of need to satisfy advertisers Biden, GOP Senators Meet Longer Than Expected On COVID-19 Relief

It's also true that politics itself seems to be designed to create conflict with competing ideas being forcefully advocated. But that conflict does not necessarily mean rampant negativity (of course that's ideal and not today's reality).

 

[Vinayaka]

That's how it's been since I started voting. Nothing recent there.

I'm an old man. I do remember voting for the guy I liked, not for the guy who I think had the best chance of defeating the guy I can't stand. The guy I liked, some 25 years ago switched parties and still won. My kind of guy. He was in intermediary between the people and the government, and was able to help a ton of people.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Does it seem like political news and discussions focus on the negative more often than not? Do you think it's because, progression is so slow,the only things we have to talk about are failures and faults? Because nothing much is happening?

.. What if things moved faster? Do you think that would help us to focus on the positive more? Because I refuse to believe it's just part of our nature.

When it's coming from RW campaigns and media. Like here, the Republicans campaigned HARD on fear. From bad people on the streets, dust bowls, lost jobs and income, schools, it all ends bad if Democrats win.
Democrats cashed in on some of Obamas hope and optimism, the very esence of Obama's campaign that powered him through to a solid victory his first term.

 

[Kooky]

The news is at least supposed to report events that are of unusual interest to us. Obviously dangerous events and future threats are going to be of far more concern to far more people than things just being pleasant.

One of the hallmarks of media in oppressive and totalitarian regime is that it tends to be largely devoid of controversial topics that would upset people. If you look at e.g. movies during the Nazi era in Germany, they're almost entirely about pleasant pastoral environments, with maybe a couple of more obvious propaganda pieces thrown in to please the hardcore political supporters.

 

[Cooky]

The news is at least supposed to report events that are of unusual interest to us. Obviously dangerous events and future threats are going to be of far more concern to far more people than things just being pleasant.

One of the hallmarks of media in oppressive and totalitarian regime is that it tends to be largely devoid of controversial topics that would upset people. If you look at e.g. movies during the Nazi era in Germany, they're almost entirely about pleasant pastoral environments, with maybe a couple of more obvious propaganda pieces thrown in to please the hardcore political supporters.

Nice name.

 

[Kooky]

Nice name.

Thanks! I typed it all by myself!

 

[Cooky]

Thanks! I typed it all by myself!

You know, if you want to spell it with a "C", I might be able to give you my C, and I can take my original name back... Just a thought.

Well, on second thought, that might confuse people... Nevermind.

 

[Cooky]

The news is at least supposed to report events that are of unusual interest to us. Obviously dangerous events and future threats are going to be of far more concern to far more people than things just being pleasant.

One of the hallmarks of media in oppressive and totalitarian regime is that it tends to be largely devoid of controversial topics that would upset people. If you look at e.g. movies during the Nazi era in Germany, they're almost entirely about pleasant pastoral environments, with maybe a couple of more obvious propaganda pieces thrown in to please the hardcore political supporters.

I see your point, but at the same time, some people want progress, and they want it now. It could be conscionable that discussing the negative is just a way of coping with a lack of progress.

 

[Kooky]

I see your point, but at the same time, some people want progress, and they want it now. It could be conscionable that discussing the negative is just a way of coping with a lack of progress.

I see a lot of discussions of these very things happening on Social Media, so I'd say this is more a case of political discourse having slipped from the grasp of traditional media.

In addition, we shouldn't forget that we're living in an era where politicians are a lot more able to directly talk to the electorate than what previous generations were used to, so I imagine a lot of these 'progress reports', if you will, would happen as part of politicians directly advertising their work to their supporters. You can see that quite a bit on platforms like Twitter or Reddit.