How much does the news media's chronic quest for drama adds to the public's misinformation? How many headlines talk about the myths concerning this or that? Reporters love to stir the crap pot. I get it, fluffy, good news doesn't sell or get clicks. Is it any wonder the average person is largely clueless about the Affordable Care Act?
This headline annoys me. It's like NBC had no hand in the misinformation. Is it any wonder that 42% of poll respondents didn't know the ACA is law? What is the media doing to reduce the current 49% of respondents who say they don't have enough information about how ACA will affect their families? Could the idea that most of the coverage is negative might have something to do with the misconceptions?
Language and framing matters. Studies prove people remember debunkings as true rather than false. It's not what we think as much as it's about how we think (pdf). It may be more fun to write about the myths, inaccuracies and negatives, but it's better informatively speaking to write about the accuracies. So, how many myths about Obamacare do you know? How many accuracies? Thought so, thanks to the mainstream media playing to your fears and confirmation bias, they've merged in your head.