Contributors: Courtney Phox, Molly Neenan
June 8th, 2021
This year has been a year of continuous distress, uncertainty, and loneliness. One thing that has remained is….news - good or bad. Whether you are an entrepreneur, marketer, or prospect we have all turned on the news channels in an effort to stay knowledgeable about the world. Just this week tragedy hit Nigeria affecting all of us in one way or another.
Since January, there have been roughly 200 children kidnapped by militant groups. Just recently at the Salihu Tanko Islamic School in Rafi, Niger armed men swarmed the premises kidnapping many of its students for ransom. Security expert Kemi Okeyodo asks: "What are the best steps to take in preventing the abductions so we avoid the payment of ransom?” Nigerian State Deputy Governor, Alh Ahmed Mohammed Ketso has just recently clarified in a news conference that the government is choosing to seek negotiation instead of payment. In response to the past few attacks, the government has switched to day hours and is using security teams at every school. This news affects us because negative news gains attention especially when children are the target and Nigeria is gaining mass attention showing that people care.
After this past year the question arises: Are We in Need of a Change?. Time and time again it has been proven that word choice matters; it increases the impact on others and the brewing controversy around the world. Negativity bias is 90% real and affects marketing. People tend to focus on negative news more than positive which ultimately questions the misuse of tragedy: “Are marketers using tragedy to increase “views” and gain attention whether good or bad?” The importance of quality news over quantity of news, after a year like no other, should be revamped to maximize change and growth in our daily news.
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