Apart from asking who is behind the news, we must understand a universal law about it: it is, above all, a business like any other.

Companies behind the news—agencies, radio and TV stations, newspapers, news sites, etc.—need to pay the salaries of its staff, the utilities of its buildings, equipment, technology, and other expenditures that other companies also have, and of course, to bring in some profit for its owners and shareholders (profit here may not always be money, but political capital, power to influence and wield destruction, etc.).

Where does this money come from? Basically from advertisers, sponsors and partners. These are huge brands, the government, and other institutions that benefit from extremely lucrative deals with these news media. What do they want from the media? Two key things:

1. Promoting its brands, products and ideas to as many people as possible
2. No news or information that can go against them or contradict them

Therefore, media outlets need to maximise their audience to then sell it on to their advertisers. More viewers, listeners and readers mean more advertisers and more money. That’s right, the public, including you and me, merely represent a “market” to them, with a price tag—class A, B, D, etc.

What do they want from us? Our attention—eyes and ears—to sell it on to their advertisers.

This is where the great tragedy lies to the general public, the “news” is not what serves us or what we need to know, but what draws our attention the most, that is, what boosts the ratings. And what draws the attention of human beings the most? Basically:

• Scandals
• Crime
• Disasters and tragedies
• Celebrities

Around 90% of the news consists of one or more of these four categories. You can check this yourself at any day, any time, on virtually any news outlet. What does this mean?

The vast majority of the “news” is not really news. It’s only a way of getting and securing your attention.

The question I would like to put to you is: Is this the kind of content you need for your mind?

[Click here to read the first part of this article.]

In the next post, I’ll explain about the other 10% of the “news”.

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