Many people receive their view of the world primarily through television and news sites, without putting into context what the media is telling them. They may even have personal experience seeing the media lie about some subject they know well - but they don’t hold that in mind when they see the news talk about any other subject.
In media there still exists this saying “If it bleeds, it leads.” The most shocking, most sensational stories go to the front page, and if the news isn’t sensational enough, they may well change the title to make it seem more alarming.
In this age, it’s not just the news who twists the truth this way. There are even scientific papers which present a very uncertain conclusion in the paper itself, and a very different version in the abstract to show to the public.
When something seems alarming, it’s very important to ask: Are they trying to make me afraid, and why?
