More Distortion
The news these days is full of mass shootings, natural disasters, and earthquakes in other countries. Most people don’t realize that the news is a distortion of reality.
Generally, we see about one mass killing a week on the news. Even this is a distortion. In reality, there are about two mass killings per day in the US, counting only incidents with five or more victims. Even such mass killings are not a severe risk, considering the population of the US. In fact, most people in the US who die of gunshot wounds are not victims of mass killings, but often in individual killings, where one person shoots another person.
We get a completely wrong impression from the news. This impression happens because news media must select which news stories to cover. Above all, news must be entertaining, because this is what attracts viewers, and this is what, in turn, attracts advertizers. News stories must be compelling, because that’s what viewers want to see.
The risk of being shot at concerts, shopping centres, or schools is actually quite low, but not zero. The higher risk of being killed in disputes with strangers is the risk that should concern you.
I'm sharing my thoughts with you. Many times a brief conversation has led me to consider and analyze an issue long after the conversation has ended. These articles are the result.
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