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Why Newspapers Panic MORE When Deaths Drop: The Media Asymmetry in Disease Reporting
Did you know that during the 19th and 20th centuries, as cities like New York and Boston invested in clean water and reduced typhoid deaths, newspapers actually reported MORE about each remaining death? This isn't a mistake—it's a calculated media asymmetry. In this video, we break down the groundbreaking research by economists Dora L. Costa and Matthew E. Kahn, analyzing 50 years of newspaper data across six major U.S. cities. You'll discover why bad news sells better than good news, how falling death rates actually make each outbreak more terrifying, and what this means for how we consume health information today. By the end, you'll understand the hidden economics behind every headline you read about disease—and why your brain is wired to click on the scary stuff.
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