Turn off the TV News

Interesting article in the Times today about the psychological impact of watching film footage of disasters.

"Joan Anzia, a professor of psychiatry, told the annual meeting of the Royal College of Psychiatrists that footage such as from the attacks of September 11, 2001, played into the hands of terrorists by increasing stress impact on the brain."

“TV companies that screen disaster footage to boost ratings should examine their consciences, as they are causing harm to their audiences,” Professor Anzia said."

Kind of a "well duh" moment for you I'm sure.

It's worse for kids:

"Children especially those under thirteen, are highly vulnerable members of our society...they lack the intellectual and emotional capacity to process fear in the way that adults can.

"...we must screen how much information they receive...don't let young children watch TV news. Television news is, to say the least, not kid-friendly." Paul Mones quoted in 'Fear Less' by Gavin de Becker.

"My disdain is for the choices made by people who produce the TV news. Every word you hear spoken is another choice, every image, every color - all choices. Combine the words,the graphics, the logos, the music, the urgency, and what you end up with is information hidden behind sensation - and the sensation is fear."

p150 'Fear Less' by Gavin de Becker. He recommends:

1. Turn off the sensational, uninspirational, uneducational, privacy-meddling, death-peddling, celebrity-snooping, helicopter-swooping, flesh-eating, rumor-repeating, minicam-toting, fear-promoting TV news.

2. Keep the TV news off at least long enough to see - as you will - that you're not missing anything.

3. Get your information in print. Read.

4. Get information-don't let information get you. (Note: blogs are a BRILLIANT source of information these days.)

5. Talk to people in your life about world and local events.

"Terrorists seek publicity, the media see stories, and the rest of us seek shelter from uncertainty. We know that for each unlikely risk we react to, we take on another risk: the risk of being governed by fear."

"News stands for - Nothing Educational Worth Seeing"

Interesting article about the decreasing audiences for US TV news. You don't say! And here's me thinking Americans are stupid, well, it is a a bit of a mantra here in London. Just last Wednesday an intelligent author said to a packed room full of advertising planners "Americans are Simple."

All you simple Americans reading this, the world is onto you.