Why is the Australian media so obsessed with road accidents?

Question

Not an evening goes by without one being on the news, and they love it even more if it involves a crossing. Generally it gets first place in the headlines, even above current national and international news. What gives? Do the population actually care?

Answer 1

It's not that they are obsessed, it just happens so frequently! But I guess by reporting such drastic road accidents on the news, it definitely pulls the viewer's attention because many adults drive + many are able to relate to it. Hmm but I agree, there are more important things happening in the world instead of a mini car accident, which majority of the time was the cause of the driver themselves or if not, they have been drinking or speeding.

Answer 2

ROAD WARRIOR!!!!!

Answer 3

The Australian media isn't so much concerned with car accidents as it is with news in general; there really isn't much to report about on a day to day basis. If you watch the news you'll sometimes see them reporting things as pointless as a woman killing a fly (well you get my point)... so when something comes along like a car accident, all media jumps for the occasion to have an actual story to report.

Then again, in a way you should be glad that it does, what if someone you cared about was part of that accident, what if he/she was an innocent bystander who could have gotten injured, of course you would want the media to report it.

Also, if it’s never reported then people begin to believe that it isn't happening, and thus become even MORE careless on roads... can you imagine that? It's bad enough as it is... It only seems like a lot of car accidents because they don't report the cars that don't incur an accident... I mean, how often do you hear: "Headlines tonight ladies and gentlemen, this blue ford just arrived safely home from work”...? Well, never! And I guess we should be thankful for that because when they do start reporting all the successes it will mean that they're actually the rare/shocking instances and our failures/accidents are actually normal.

So it's not so much about being obsessed with car accidents than it is them just doing their jobs and reporting what has happened... wouldn't you be annoyed if someone got in a car accident and brought down your fence and the news didn't even bother to report it because they thought "Ahhhh well... we already talked about a car accident last week... lets skip this one... so about that cat in the tree"...

Anyway, you get my point...

Answer 4

They are paid to report accidents so that their news channel will be famous and besides accidents are worth lot of attention

Answer 5

Lol...it's not really funny but I had to laugh. It's not just road accidents...it's all evil, disgusting, crime. They love to be the first one to report something nasty happening. I don't know why....Actually I think it's quite harmful for the population to listen to things like that. Yes...crime happens...but does every single Australian need to be burdened by it every single day? It makes the world seem gloomy...like everything is negative...crime and pain all around us. I have given up watching the news a long time ago...It depresses me...

Answer 6

They've got to print something.

Yes,the newspapers are left-wing drivel.

Answer 7

i reAlly agree !....what gives with this mentality

it is like been 5 and constantly been told by Big

Brother ..... did you shut the toilet door ? Have you

washed your hands ?......why can't they be part of

general news without the gory detail ?

My main objective is the time given (no disrespect to

the tragic and terrible event ) I honestly think this is

the kind of thing they want to build a show after the

news o n,   then go ahead and do that.....people who

have an interest in watching all the details and get

the Big Brother message will watch .

the main part of the news i agree does not have near

Enough Currant national and International  what i call

(REAL)  NEWS.   I don't feel our country is grown up

with the rest of the world because our news is so like

a primary schools report compared to the rest of the

world being a University students report!  Its like real

embarrassing....and the Greed of the Stations love all

that Advertising Dollars .... but wont spend enough on

International story's ! ! !

Answer 8

The media thinks, that bad is better than good. Bad incidents like rape/murder/death is more poplar, more eye-catching then all those do-goody pieces of news.

The death of ordinary, good Australians who haven't done anything seems to be more important because it strikes fear and people want to wach to see how it relates to them. Diplomatic incidents don't really relate to people. The media only talks about that when Australians are involved, preferably if someone dies.

Answer 9

because fear helps to control mass populations

Answer 10

Hi Because of the shock aspect which sells papers and prime time viewing as a father who lost his son in a fatal road accident which covered 7,9,10  tv  and local papers nothing was more infuriating than having a jouno knock on your door asking questions about your loss,would it not be a lot better if we DID something about reducing the road toll, making cars safer to drive,roads, etc,  ie advance driving courses free in secondary schools etc  other than wanting to know the ins & outs lets do something about it i"d sooner make our roads a safer place  for society than be a grieving father so  other parents do not have to suffer like i did. The Coach