Headlines greatly influence what we think

Headlines greatly influence the way we think  Many people do not read beyond them, and many of those who do are already preconditioned to accept what they read at face value. Scary and sensational  headlines and stories sell newspapers and television and the advertising that support them. 

It seems to matters little that they are often misleading, or even attempt to "tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth."  Sales, readership and ratings are what counts.  

Headlines can have a dumbing down effect on the way we think, act and vote.  Used in this way, media freedom impairs our freedom. It is not good for democracy.

Liam Dann   pn94

The NZ Herald Editorial: "Consumer confidence fall a worry as gloom sets in" and its heading "Consumer confidence lowest since 2012" told much less than the whole truth. 

They were hardly balanced by its  "Good news for Govt: GDP up by 1pc, dollar rises on result"or even by Liam Dann's article that I reprint (with my emphasis in bold and  comments in parentheses) below:
Click on "Read more" at bottom of post







Liam Dann: GDP cuts through gloomy business outlook
NZ Herald, 20 Sept.

It is a timely reminder that things have not been nearly as bad as business confidence surveys and Government critics have been making out.

I don't want to dismiss the policy fears that business groups have expressed.
I don't think small businesses are making up concern about labour laws, rising costs or tighter profit margins.

But I do think those concerns been blown out of proportion in surveys which suggest levels of gloom not seen since the global financial crisis. (It is the media, not the surveys, that has blown the results out of proportion.)

As we looked back on the 10 year anniversary of the GFC last week it was pretty obvious how starkly different things are now.

Above all we have stability and a liquidity that had dried up completely in 2008.
There are risks but - with inflation under control, interest rates still low and stock markets still bullish - it appears the biggest is that we talk ourselves in to a downturn.

Yesterday the Westpac McDermott Miller Consumer Confidence Index showed a significant slump. That is a worry. (The survey noted that this could be due to the media publicity given to the business confidence surveys, and that the confidence  level was still in positive territory.)

It certainly will create a self-fulfilling downward spiral if the public follow business's gloomy lead and stops spending. (Assisted  by media headlines and stories?)

Business is entitled to keep fighting policy battles. But it needs to careful how it doesn't shoot itself in the foot.

As New Zealand head's into its 10th consecutive year of economic growth we should be making the most of a rare golden run.

We don't know how long it will be until we face a global stock market crash or some other external shock. Let's not waste the golden weather while it lasts.

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(Thanks to the Dunn brothers, Liam here and Dan on TV1's QandA programme for their fair, honest and balanced journalism. If only more would follow them.)