What they want...or what they need?

"It is sometimes said that the people are ahead of the politicians; it can also be said that journalism ought to be ahead of the people. Otherwise, the people are ill-served. "

-Henry Luce

A journalist’s responsibility is to provide the public with information they need to make decisions and navigate the world.  This high minded mission is easily espoused but difficult to monetize.  After all, “units of good” don’t pay the rent. I recently read a  2014 article from The Atlantic "Why Audiences Hate Hard News—and Love Pretending Otherwise" which details this issue...and it's not new.  The piece outlines the audience’s cognitive dissonance when it comes to news content.  People say they want the meat, but they only eat the pudding.

The conflict between what audiences “should” care about and how they behave has consequences.  If news organizations stop covering hard news it will lead to fewer checks on our government.  We will see further divides in already splintered communities and a less informed public.  Conversely, if news outlets pour resources into hard news but soft feature pieces sell, they are likely to see a drop in ratings, loss of revenue and fewer jobs.  Does a for-profit company have an obligation to make as much money as possible to employ its staff and grow?  Or, does journalism have a higher purpose whose best practices are not centered solely around profit? 

Most reputable organizations are finding ways to provide the features people crave while packaging the hard news for easier consumption.  In many organizations, this tug of war manifests itself in the headlines. Traditional news outlets whose front pages and social media accounts are full of headlines written in a conversational or provocative style to draw the reader into hard news pieces.  This practice has become so widespread that what once was wrong has become right. Casual headlines have become the second pronunciation added to a commonly mispronounced word in the dictionary - correct by popular demand.  Do the ends justify the means?  The headline “Doctors:No” may draw readers into a thoughtful article about the Graham-Cassidy bill.  The headline “Boys are not defective” was enticing enough for me to learn why girls in Jordan are outperforming their male peers in school and why privilege is hurting the young men. 

Think about the way you consume media....what you SAY you want and what you actually DO.  Are they different?  Do you need that sugar coated tantalizing headline to entice you?  As media "makers" we need to come to a better understanding of how to give people what they want, with a healthy dose of what they need...and that is going to require a little honesty and a lot of work.