I think doubleplus is right on the money about it being sensationalism. It sells more advertizing air time, if they can glue viewers to their sets.
But I have an additional factor to throw into the pot. I've mentioned elsewhere on LJ the theory (credit to Brad Blanton, IIRC) that one of the big taboos in middle class western culture is getting excited. There's strictly delineated topics about which it isn't considered gauche to get excited (e.g. sports), but other than that, you're supposed to play it "cool". Appearing to care too much about anything marks one as a geek.
So I think that people get all excited about "storms" -- going wild stocking up in the grocery store, etc. -- because it's just a relief and a pleasure to be able to get excited about something. It's a socially sanctioned occasion to get all worked up, in a good way, about something. It makes them feel live.
And I think the news caters to that. Perhaps they know why people tune in to alarmist weather news or perhaps they exploit it without understanding it. But I think the reason people watch is for precisely the same reason they go to horror movies or get on rollercoasters: so they can experience a thrill and let themselves get properly exercised (in the more obscure sense of the term) -- over something which they know is, in the end, perfectly harmless.
(no subject)
But I have an additional factor to throw into the pot. I've mentioned elsewhere on LJ the theory (credit to Brad Blanton, IIRC) that one of the big taboos in middle class western culture is getting excited. There's strictly delineated topics about which it isn't considered gauche to get excited (e.g. sports), but other than that, you're supposed to play it "cool". Appearing to care too much about anything marks one as a geek.
So I think that people get all excited about "storms" -- going wild stocking up in the grocery store, etc. -- because it's just a relief and a pleasure to be able to get excited about something. It's a socially sanctioned occasion to get all worked up, in a good way, about something. It makes them feel live.
And I think the news caters to that. Perhaps they know why people tune in to alarmist weather news or perhaps they exploit it without understanding it. But I think the reason people watch is for precisely the same reason they go to horror movies or get on rollercoasters: so they can experience a thrill and let themselves get properly exercised (in the more obscure sense of the term) -- over something which they know is, in the end, perfectly harmless.