News Is Boring, Negative and Depressing

That’s the sentiment of a growing number of people. There are several reports on this trend,   but you  don’t really need the data, just ask about anyone and that’s the reaction

It’s as much about the presentation as the topics themselves.  Most news presentations appear to be designed to create tension and drama.  Tension and drama worked in the past but maybe  we are past the age of tension and drama and entering a new era where drama,  tension and the overall news cadence is itself out of harmony with the era. News can be exploratory, factual and stunning in more contemporary ways that can be an escape into the universe of information rather than a….bummer 

Imagine if there was ONE radio format. Say it’s  Top 40,  where EVERY radio station has the top 40 sound and playlist.       

It’s not far off from that in the video news environment.   News  has a similar look, sound,  style, story list and vibe.  Civilians don’t note tweaks as insiders do but believe me,  the public perception under ( and over) 40 is that it all looks ,feels and sounds the same with the differentiator being political pov…repeated across the land ad naseum.  And that look, sound, style, story list and vibe might simply be out of sync as the presentation of news in this new era.  In other words,  we are in a transitionary period,  and these periods are fuel for anxiety.  It’s part of the National DNA that has to be factored into the evolution of news. 

The fear and anxiety in watching news  is fueled by the way it’s presented.   You can’t make the Ukraine or a murder pleasant.  The point is that the spirit in which this information is projected needs to be rethought to meet the 2022 anxious environment.  

You can’t change the stories but the presentation is screaming for alternatives that connect with the ever evolving mood of the country.  I’m not referring to dialing down or sugar coating stories. Just adapting to the new tempo of the American culture.  

The world is having a nervous breakdown,  and presentations can fuel it.  There’s a new rhythm to 2022 that getting on beat with can turn mayhem into magic.