EdenInCDA (RE: Divisive culture blocks healing): Many years ago I attended a media conference. One of our local Inland NW news stations had recently hired a firm to conduct research on how this particular news station could increase their ratings. The conclusion was heartbreaking... if they want to increase their viewership and ratings (which means they can sell more advertising), they need to feature more blood, death and negativity. That's right... for a news station to be successful, they must show bloodshed, heartache, death, destruction, etc in order to drive ratings. THIS is EXACTLY what our world has come to. People are drawn to this stuff, but all of it ultimately breeds fear, anger, darkness... Added to that is our immediacy of news - we are on our devices 24/7. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.. where news trends and something that we might not have heard of in another state 10 years ago is now front and center to our lives.

I wish I had a solution to suggest, but I don't. I know that I do not watch the news in my home. I may have to stop engaging with Twitter so often because I am often heartbroken by 7am in the morning. It's up to us, the people, to make the change that is needed - that I do know.

Question: Does the media focus on blood & guts begat more blood & guts?