Why does the media only report on news that is new?

As global problems continue to grow, the problem of only reporting new news also grows. Many may not think of this as an issue, but it truly is. Think about it, big media corporations and news stations only report on the developing and breaking news of the day, failing to report and update on developing stories, or following month-long conflicts. Don’t get me wrong, breaking news events are important, and staying up to date on local news is vital, but it is also equally important to keep updating on events that have occurring events throughout coming days, months, and maybe even years. Our media and news coverage is unbalanced and that’s the problem.

John Green said it best in his book, The Anthropocene Reviewed, “The word news tells a secret on itself, though: What’s news isn’t primarily what is noteworthy or important, but what is new.” 

What can be done to address this issue on a greater scale? More people need to be aware of the lack of continued coverage for ongoing issues such as climate change, Economic inequality, and food insecurity. Attention needs to be drawn to the problem; perhaps the media should report itself.