In his paper “The News Media, the Problem Frame, and the Production of Fear”, Altheide draws attention to the use of fear in mass media, and how its content is shaped by formats and frames.
The communications industry influences the public perception of problems and produces violent content, making the viewers discern life as fearful and threatening. The media content is shaped by frames and formats. By choosing, establishing and showing certain information, the audience preferences are molded. The entertainment orientation of media is crucial to the “problem frame”. To make issues alluring and compatible with entertainment formats, a report about fear is produced and packaged to make it simple, relatable and talk-worthy.
As the author explains,
The communications industry influences the public perception of problems and produces violent content, making the viewers discern life as fearful and threatening. The media content is shaped by frames and formats. By choosing, establishing and showing certain information, the audience preferences are molded. The entertainment orientation of media is crucial to the “problem frame”. To make issues alluring and compatible with entertainment formats, a report about fear is produced and packaged to make it simple, relatable and talk-worthy.
As the author explains,