Many people claim that full reports about crimes published by newspapers and television can lead to negative impacts on society, thus the authorities should put restrictions on this issue. I strongly agree with this suggestion and in my following essay, I will explain in more detail the reasons that support my idea.
First, psychologists have long noticed that criticism often has a stronger impact than praise, and bad information often attracts more attention than good one. Psychologists call this “negativity bias”. Unfortunately, it is not difficult to see many newsrooms or television stations have succumbed to the ‘negative bias’ by sensationalizing crime stories and even spreading fake news to attract more viewers. This is not only not a way to truthfully inform about the country’s situation, but also does not meet the healthy cultural needs of the people.
Furthermore, it cannot be denied that providing detailed reports about criminal activities will help raise people’s vigilance against potential dangers such as robbery, murder, physical abuse or kidnapping. While crime reporting can raise awareness, it can also have a negative impact on mental health. One example of this is the military clashes in the Gaza Strip in recent years, the news about the damage is updated continuously causing both victims and the world population to suffer stressed and panic about world security. If this psychological state lasts for a long time, it can affect people’s mental health and labor productivity.
In short, I believe that sharing bad news with people excessively will cause controversy about people’s mental health. That is why governments should have restrictive policies to manage the quantity and quality of this information.