Why Reading about Scandals Might Actually be Good for You

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Pundits often tsk-tsk about how the media’s relentless obsession with scandal is bad for us -- it makes it too hard to have a serious discussion about issues that matter. But is that really true? Does coverage of scandal really distract us from real substantive reporting? Dr. Beth Miller is a political scientist who teaches at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Her research suggests scandal reporting might have some unexpected benefits.

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Comments [3]

E Brown

It's in Political Psychology, Vol. 31, No. 6, 2010.

Feb. 19 2011 02:14 PM

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E Brown

Hi folks -- is there any way OTM could add in the title of the study, or the journal it's published in? Perhaps not in the show itself, but online? I ask because every 3 or 4 shows, you folks find a really cool study I want to read, and it can be difficult to track down...
Great show, always lots of food for thought. Thnx.

Feb. 15 2011 09:50 AM

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Marilyn Durkee from Concord, NH

I find it ironic that your story criticizes media outlets for covering the Planned Parenthood sting story without reporting that PP attempted to identify the car tag of the supposed 'pimp' and reported this to authorities. In fact I heard this story w/o this additional information on NPR itself just the day or two before. NPR has all too often lately not been reporting the entire story. Please stop trying to replicate the sensationalism of so many of the other news outlets. Getting it first is not as important to listeners as getting it right!

Feb. 13 2011 08:58 AM

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