Loading…

My local paper's 'outrage' story got 12 shares and I checked the comments | Fake Outrage Watch - Vivisector

My local paper's 'outrage' story got 12 shares and I checked the comments

I saw a headline yesterday about a new park bench design causing 'fury' in our town. The article quoted three people, all with the same vague complaint. I looked at the post on their site, and it only had 12 shares after two days. The five comments were all from the same two people arguing with each other. It felt like the whole thing was made to get clicks because nothing was really happening. Has your local news done this with a non-issue lately?

4 comments

4 Comments

susan815mo ago

Yeah, it's like they're trying to make drama out of thin air. I see it all the time, not just in the news. My apartment building's newsletter will say "residents are upset" about the new trash bins, but it's just one guy who complains about everything. Or a restaurant gets a "backlash" online from two bad reviews. @rodriguez.mia is right, it's just filling space, but it makes everything feel fake and angry when most people just don't care.

henryt184mo ago

Sometimes you need to amplify small complaints before they become real problems. That one guy with the trash bins might speak for others who are just quiet, and @rodriguez.mia's cold coffee could point to a bigger service issue. Isn't it better to report these things early?

seanmason5mo ago

That "fury" from three people is the whole story. Do you think the writer even left the office, or just called some friends to get a quote? It's lazy reporting pretending to be news.

rodriguez.mia5mo ago

Exactly, seanmason. They probably just texted their group chat. "Hey, are you furious about the new policy?" "Yeah, sure, whatever." Boom, instant headline. Next they'll report on my fury that my coffee got cold. It's not news, it's just filling space.