How the Media Tricks Us and How To Spot their Tricks
It's not malicious. There isn't any evil intent, it's just what the media does.
It is not like journalists wake up every day rubbing their hands, thinking, “What trick can I pull today?” They don't think like that. They are more likely to think of how they can get their story in front of you. What "strategies" do they need to use.
Much like I do as I am writing this post. I want people to read it. If I start using boring sentences like "How the media manipulates the audience and what strategies we can use to identify them", I won't get many clicks. In fact, I would probably get none.
Journalists are the same. Their intention is to get viewers and the way to do that is to tug at our emotions. Make us afraid, scared, alarmed, any of those will do.
The Cyclone Hype Example
A recent category 2 cyclone hit the Gold Coast (where I live) and the media didn't miss the opportunity. They stroke alarm in every post on social media.
A Current Affair, an Australian media company that is still watched by up to a million viewers per episode, wrote this on one of their facebook posts:
"There's no sugar coating what's coming - a monster cyclone gaining strength, and the danger zone is enormous. As the skies turn grey and the window to leave narrows, millions are holding their breath." (7th February, 2025)
A category 2 cyclone is not a monster. It has a lot of wind that can damage a lot of trees and there is a high chance of losing power but it doesn't compare to Godzilla. Why use the words monster, danger zone and enormous? Or say that "millions are holding their breath".
They want us to click on their story. They want to get viewers worked up, to the point of causing lots of hysteria, with supermarket shelves quickly emptying and no toilet rolls in sight.
After the cyclone came through, it was just as predicted, but not by many in the media. It was a lot of wind and we lost power for 6 days (some for longer). Not because the wind was so terribly devastating but because every power line has giant eucalyptus trees that are just waiting to topple down dead branches on the power lines. It happened all over the south-east coast.
This lesson shows the media's tactics in clear view. Many journalists, keen to capitalise on a story, will use alarming (and sometimes very misleading) language to scare the crap out of us.
Dodging the Loaded Question
Duchess is aware of this. She knows the reporter's motivation. At first, she's thrown by the sheer brazen manipulation, but then wisens up. She uses her wits and realises that the reporter is trying to manipulate her to say exactly what she wants her to say.
It doesn't work. Duchess pauses and then doesn't play into the trap. She disengages. "I don't know how to respond to that," not giving any ammunition over. She effectively disarms the reporter.
This is what we need to do as well. A loaded question is a clever tactic used by journalists to shape their message. If we don’t bite, they’ve got to scramble for another tactic—like piling on hyperbole or fear-mongering to crank up the anxiety. A calm, logical take? Barely a whisper.
That’s how the media hooks us and why. Not because they’re evil masterminds (though some might be). They’re just trying to keep their job. Clicks pay the bills, and plain, sensible talk doesn’t rake them in.
Learning to Spot Media Tactics
If no one is clicking, they'll double down. That’s where logical fallacies and cognitive biases sneak in - their go-to tools. Duchess and Bruno break these down so we can spot them fast.
With funny, easy-to-understand comics, examples and activities, we can learn how to spot the media's pesky tactics. So that when events go down around us (and they will), we’re ready to ID how they’re trying to snag our attention (and mess with our heads).
Want to dig into the Loaded Question fallacy or other tricks? Check out Duchess and Bruno’s activity packs.
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