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Kristina Yarberry

Dr. Jensen

Rhetorical Theory

03 December 2019

Paper 4: The Rhetoric of Fear in News Media

It is no secret that much of the news reported today has a negative tone—one that tends to

focus on the terrible things that are happening, both locally and internationally. It seems that only

brief snippets of positive or uplifting news are included, as if to apply a very light salve to

comfort listeners/viewers about the remaining unpleasant news to come. So, what can we glean

from this? Any industry that hopes to function successfully must strategize about their methods.

They must have a clear idea of what will and will not work to keep them going. The news

industry is no exception. It operates on ratings, much like any other form of media, and many

would argue that it also uses political and other moral- or belief-driven agendas to reach larger

audiences. But what else keeps it working? It makes an emotional appeal. The news industry

utilizes pathos to manipulate consumers into fear and other negative feelings that will persuade

them to continue watching, keeping the industry going, but at the cost of the consumers’ mental

health and wellbeing.

Pathos is a method of persuasion that works by “appeal[ing] to an audience’s needs,

values, and emotional sensibilities” (Purdue). It is one of three essential rhetorical strategies,

which include logos and ethos. Much like the other two strategies, pathos is used in all forms of

rhetoric, both intentionally and subconsciously, depending on the author or speaker. One of the

most prevalent industries that makes use of pathos is advertisement. Almost any campaign that is
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advertised uses emotional appeal as a part of its marketing strategy to entice consumers,

particularly in cases where the subject matter or context surrounding said campaign is of any

emotional significance to the public.

For instance, consider the following call to action: “Spare parts for humans are not as

original as those for cars. Don’t drink and drive.” This is taken from a BMW advertisement

against drunk driving (Detisch). It combines the above statement with the image of a person’s

legs—one natural, one artificial. In doing so, it appeals to the emotions of those viewing the

advertisement. If a viewer has a habit of drinking and driving, they would likely feel guilt upon

seeing the advertisement, as their dangerous habit could cause someone harm, much like that

inflicted on the person in the photo. If someone who has been injured in a drunk driving accident

were to see the ad, they would likely experience anger or other painful emotions, as the person

responsible for their injuries had either not seen or not listened to the message of the

advertisement. It is in a very similar way that news media outlets appeal to the emotions of their

viewers and listeners.

On the front page of CNN’s website, you can find a list of current news headlines. As of

today, three of them read as follows: “Deadly mold spurs lawsuit against kids hospital.” “Student

and school resource officer injured in second high school shooting in Wisconsin this week.” “A

Pennsylvania mother said her children, age 8 and 4, killed themselves. Now she's charged with

murder” (CNN). These headlines are not listed with images, so their efficacy is entirely

dependent on the language that they use. And, as you can see, words describing violence and

death are present in each one. Some would argue that this is merely a result of the times in which
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we are currently living; violence seems to be much more prevalent now than it was in the past.

However, this is not the only reason for a focus on these forms of horror.

Although the headlines above do not include any imagery, this is not usually the case.

With televised news in particular, there are often videos and photos of the stories being reported,

whether live or previously recorded. And, in recent years, these supplemental materials have

become more and more graphic. In reports of war, scenes of injured and dying people are often

shared, and it is very common that children are shown among them. Graphic depictions of

disease and disaster are showcased daily. And the language used to detail these stories is often

much like that in the headlines above.

What is the effect of this type of news broadcasting? It appeals to emotions. Seeing

violence enacted upon anyone—especially children—can incense anger and pity. Sweeping

images of natural disasters and large-scale catastrophes, weighted statements about current

political climates and their projected outcomes, and graphic imagery of war all incite intense

fear. And to what end? Censorship is a hot-button issue in today’s society, but should the news

industry be protected from it?

In her 2008 publication, “If It Bleeds, It Leads: The Clinical Implications of Fear-Based

Programming in News Media,” Deborah Serani writes:

“Gone are the days when people would tune into the news to be informed

straightforwardly about local and national issues, glean the weather report, and

check traffic routes. Nowadays, watching the news is a psychologically risky

pursuit (Altheide & Michalowski, 1999; Eth, 2002; McNaughton-Cassill, 2001).

Catastrophe, suffering, and violence are themes that thread through television
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news, and pictures capture the horror. Technological innovations and the post-9/11

atmosphere have changed the programming of news media toward trauma-driven

content (Young, 2003). Whether it is broadcast or cable news, the accounts of

shocking happenings are delivered with immediacy and can be viewed, re-viewed,

and revisited at the push of a button. News programming has moved from

providing citizens with the information they need to be free and self-governing to

showing programming that attracts ratings by exploiting people’s vulnerabilities”

(Serani 240).

This introduction offers an insightful summary of the overall message Serani hopes to share,

which is that 1) news programming takes advantage of people’s emotions in order to increase

ratings, and 2) this emotional manipulation has more of a lasting negative impact than you might

expect. Deeper in the journal entry, she writes of a patient named Grace, whose life had been

subject to trauma after trauma, causing her to live with a lasting sense of sadness and despair.

Unfortunately, amid all of her difficult personal experiences, the 9/11 attack took place.

Serani states, “Many people were troubled by the events of that day and their aftermath.

What was difficult for Grace was that her private anguish was now joined with public anguish…

The outside world that used to bring her solace was no longer there. Newscasts affirmed this”

(Serani 247). She goes on to describe the plan for treatment that was put into place for Grace,

saying, “Our long-term work emphasized helping Grace find more adaptive defensive

constellations and creating new schemas, which involved a turning away from television media”

(Serani 248). It is noteworthy that a key part of Grace’s psychological treatment hinged on this

decreased exposure.
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Censorship may never be possible in this context, as the news industry is incredibly large

and rather difficult to control. In other words, we may never turn away from the

emotionally-charged approach that now takes place when news is broadcasted. However, it is

deeply saddening that what had previously been a source of simple information acquisition has

become such a negative thing—one that requires its complete removal, in some cases, in order to

heal the damages it can cause. While some element of emotional appeal may always be

necessary in order to keep news programs running strong, it is clear by Serani’s example that

these programs often press too far, and the wellbeing of their viewers is directly affected for the

worse.
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Works Cited

Detisch, AJ. “The Definitive Guide to Ethos, Logos and Pathos.” StudioBinder, 30 Sept. 2019,

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/ethos-pathos-logos/.

Purdue University Writing Lab. “Using Rhetorical Strategies for Persuasion.” Purdue Writing

Lab, 2018,

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/academic_writing/establishing_arguments/rh

etorical_strategies.html.

Serani, Deborah. “If It Bleeds, It Leads: The Clinical Implications of Fear-Based Programming

in News Media.” Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, vol. 24, no. 4, Jan. 2008, pp.

240–250., doi:10.3200/psyc.24.4.240-250.

“US News – Top National Stories and Latest Headlines.” CNN, Cable News Network, 2019,

https://www.cnn.com/us.