Invented Narratives and the Outrage Industry

[searcher]

The Outrage Industry​

Even if you are not caught up in the Outrage Industry, it affects you because it affects us all.

The Outrage Industry influences how we talk about politics with our friends and family—and why some people avoid talking about politics. It explains why some people are glued to the screen, following a 24-hour news cycle, breathlessly waiting for the next episode to find out how the latest doomsday situation (or thrilling episode) will turn out. The outrage industry dictates the behavior of elected officials (particularly conservatives) who are terrified of getting on the wrong side of the Outrage Industry because they know if they do, they will be primaried.

According to Berry and Sobieraj, The Outrage Industry is a for-profit genre that is loosely based on fact, but is mostly spin, hype, opinions, panic-inducing speculation, and constructed narratives.

The Outrage Industry is talk radio, cable news shows, and political blogs.

Outrage discourse, as a rule, ignores complexity and nuance. It is not about conveying accurate information or stimulating meaningful discourse. In the words of the authors:

“Outrage sidesteps the messy nuances of complex political issues in favor of melodrama, misrepresentative exaggeration, mockery, and hyperbolic forecasts of impending doom. Outrage talk is not rational discourse. . . instead, it takes the form of a verbal competition, political theater with a scorecard.” (p. 6 – 7)

The authors dispel the popular notion that the Outrage Industry is a result of our polarization. On the contrary, it is a highly profitable business that arose as a result of the Internet and cable-news-media information disruption in the late 1990s. Thus, it’s the other way around: Outrage arose because it was profitable and has exacerbated the problem of polarization.

Because of the fragmenting of media and the clutter of outlets, blogs, and talk shows, there is a lot of noise. There is also a lot of money in the outrage business. Outlets or pundits in search of an audience need to break through. The easiest way to break through is to be an “agent provocateur.”

More:

Invented Narratives and the Outrage Industry - Teri Kanefield

The Outrage Industry Even if you are not caught up in the Outrage Industry, it affects you because it affects us all. The Outrage Industry influences how we talk about politics with our friends and family—and why some people avoid talking about politics. It explains why some people are glued to...

terikanefield.com

 

[glockngold]

The Outrage Industry is talk radio, cable news shows, and political blogs.

And definitely not NPR, The View, & legacy media.
They are totally all about "just the facts mam".
Folks that write this stuff have never cracked a history book.
Being pissed off is nothing new.

 

[searcher]

Doom and gloom, getting people pissed off, spreading conspiracy theories is big business. Lotta $$$$$$$$$$$$$ being made.

Cable tv hosts, internet hate mongers, book authors, online survival stores all making bank.

Been going on a long time.

When survivalism was becoming a "thing" there were people and companies making a few bucks off of selling doom, etc. Think Loompanics, Paladin Press, etc.

They were chump change compared to today's professional enragers. They've taken fleecing to new heights.