As a retired Arizona teacher, I’ve noticed a steady decline in critical thinking skills, while trust in news outlets has eroded nationwide.
I want to confront the rising tide of fear-based clickbait masquerading as news. Sensationalism has replaced journalism—not to inform, but to provoke emotional, knee-jerk reactions. This corrodes democracy by dividing us with fear.
We can’t function as an informed electorate if every headline is designed to trigger anxiety without providing essential context. I urge readers to notice emotionally loaded terms like “outrage,” “devastating,” or “under siege” — words that create panic but rarely offer real solutions.
In 1933, FDR warned, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” Today, fear is a marketing strategy.
To honor his wisdom, we must embed critical thinking and media literacy into education — just as fear has embedded itself into our news.
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Mary Patton
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
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