now,isn't Stossel a MEMBER of the Media?

This is kind of a stupid article, if only for the fact that Stossel doesn't seem to have a basic grasp of the way human beings think. Fear is not rational, or else we would fear slipping and falling rather than spiders and sharks. There would be no gambling either. Human beings are not rational creatures. The media does not cause this, although possibly they capitalize on it.

The media sensationalizes statistical minutae: IE: the likelyhood of getting vaporized by terrorist bombs, or becoming wheatfield mulch, when the 747 you're on augers into the ground, 'til it's as pervasive, and fearsome as smalltown gossip.
It induces fear, in some cases mass hysetria. Remember War of The Worlds ? Germany pre-1939?...
..uh... weapons of mass destruction?
Lynchmob City.

Media has become a political tool, a propaganda machine, for all stripes of the political spectrum , to do psycho-battle for the hearts and minds of the public, using utter malarkey, seeded with the teeniest grains of truth, made up by men afraid of their own shadows, to exert the control they so desperately need to help alleviate those fears.
Fear has proved, throughout history, to to be a dandy leash, to lead the massive moron, and keep the powerful out of harms way, 'cuz humanity is one big palpitating wide-eyed sucker, believing what the powerful tell 'em to believe, 'cuz,after all, they're powerful.
They MUST know somethin' we don't.
Oh yeah. You can bet they do.