Media Negativity Moderates in March

The mainstream media has indeed moderated in its pursuit of only gloom and doom this month. Earlier in March the mainstream outlets finally started covering positive stories. In fact radio and TV started soliciting for positive stories.

The media does play a significant role in sentiment changes in a recessionary cycle. It is now interesting to see how consumer and investor sentiment has changed -- perhaps in part to additional airtime on positive economic stories.

From the Rasmussen reports on Tuesday morning:

The Rasmussen Consumer Index, which measures consumer confidence on a daily basis, rose three points on Monday to 73.0. That’s up six points from a week ago, up seventeen points from a month ago and up thirteen points from the beginning of the year.

The Rasmussen Investor Index rose for the fourth straight day today. At 81.6, investor confidence is up fourteen points from last week, up twenty-five points from last month and up eighteen points from its first reading of the year.

There’s also a glimmer of good news in this month’s release of the Rasmussen Employment Index. After declining for five straight months, prospects for the labor market stabilized as the Employment Index inched up slightly.

And across the country the media outlets are indeed continuing to step up their reporting of good news. It looks like they will continue into April...

For example NewsRadio 1310 KLIX in Twin Falls, ID will set aside the normal news of the day in order to celebrate the good news happening in their communities, their state, and the country. For 24 hours starting April 2, the top rated news-talk station will update their listeners with only positive stories, interviews, and news.

“With so much ‘bad news’ dominating the headlines these days, it’s easy to let the ‘good news’ slip through the cracks,” says NewsRadio 1310 KLIX general manager, Janice Degner. “By dedicating a 24-hour news cycle to this type of news, we are hoping to offer a little sunshine and maybe help put things in perspective.”