Recent years have witnessed a growing number of news reports in the media focused more on urgent problems rather than on positive developments, which is suggested as more detrimental to individuals and society. From my perspective, while this trend may be beneficial to some extent, I firmly believe that the downsides are more pronounced.
Admittedly, urgent problems can have a positive influence on citizens and society for several reasons. Chief among them are the deliberate and thorough solutions when solving urgent problems, leaving minor consequences in the future. By raising social awareness and solving the problem completely, people can mitigate the issue immediately, allaying fears among citizens who are susceptible to sensational news. The Covid-19 pandemic serves as a prime example: with media coverage and public health campaigns, many doctors were able to produce vaccines after failures, and numerous individuals raised their disease severity awareness to wear masks and quarantine from others, thereby saving multiple lives and conserving the state budget used for the outbreak. However, this perspective overlooks the fact that broadcasting pressing issues may deter national development and cause social evils. During the outbreak, some people, seeing the fear of citizens in the media, took advantage of gimmicks to sell fake medicines and low-quality medical equipment, thereby disrupting the government’s financial stability and authority.
However, I am convinced that the presence of media coverage on pressing issues can cause a negative influence on individuals and society, including the health crisis. The constant exposure to negative sources of information, such as war, natural disasters, and crime, can stimulate the fight-or-flight reaction in the brain, thereby increasing the level of cortisol that causes stress. Over time, such a habit can lead to chronic anxiety, causing depression and creating a doomscrolling effect that significantly affects both physical and mental well-being. Moreover, pressing issues may weaken social cohesion. In a society where malicious information is prevalent, especially in politics, culture, and discrimination, regional conflicts between citizens frequently occur, creating fractured relationships that burn bridges. For instance, media coverage may be used by the government and major companies for corruption in order to generate substantial revenue. Such an initiative can make the government lose citizens’ trust, hindering socio-economic development that largely influences citizens’ job opportunities and living expenses.
In conclusion, while I acknowledge that media coverage on urgent issues can be beneficial to some extent, I firmly believe that its downsides, including the disruption of social cohesion and the deterrence of socio-economic development, are more pronounced.