History Main / IfItBleedsItLeads

* Satirized by ''TheOnion'', along with MissingWhiteWomanSyndrome, in [[http://www.theonion.com/video/missing-girl-probably-raped,14164/ "Missing Girl Probably Raped."]]
* Satirized somewhat more gently, along with general pop-culture obsession with [[ApocalypseHow the apocalypse]], by CollegeHumor in [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XTwWqzKeXc "The End Of The World As We Know It (On Channel 9)"]]

->''"[[WhamLine In keeping with Channel 40's policy of bringing you the latest in]] [[{{Gorn}} blood and guts]], [[WhamLine and in living color,]] [[FamousLastWords you are going to see another first --]] [[DrivenToSuicide attempted]] [[DeadlineNews suicide]]."''
-->-- '''Christine Chubbuck''', July 15, 1974, right before [[FatalMethodActing committing suicide on live TV]]

This mantra is deeply ingrained in journalistic norms. Newsworthiness is determined by several factors, and death/destruction fulfills many of them a lot better than news about society working its wonders another day. Also, because getting information on them is easy (through the police or government agencies via press releases) and since they take place on public streets where permits or business permission are never required to film near, they are generally rather cheap to cover. They also tend to provide flashy visuals. As a result of all this, AccentuateTheNegative tends to be in full effect at many news desks. Just look at your average day's worth of coverage from Creator/{{CNN}}, {{Fox News|Channel}} or your nightly NewsBroadcast and count the number of stories (or rather, the amount of coverage) given to good news rather than disaster and criticism.

The entire reason why MissingWhiteWomanSyndrome exists. Compare YouCanPanicNow, CouldThisHappenToYou. Contrast HumanInterestStory. When used in fiction, it's often a sign that the news outlet indulging in it is a StrawmanNewsMedia. Has nothing to do with actual trails of blood.

* French Canadian daily newspaper ''Le Journal de Montreal'' has never shied away from having its headlines based on the [[AddedAlliterativeAppeal catchy French alliteration]] "Sexe, Sang et Sport" (sex, blood and sports).

* This is pretty much the entire business model of {{HLN}} post-NetworkDecay, as evidenced by the popularity of shows like ''Nancy Grace'' and ''Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell''.

* This is definitely the belief of Elliot Carver, the media mogul villain of the James Bond film ''Film/TomorrowNeverDies'', to the point that he actually sinks a ship, massacres its survivors, steals a nuclear weapon (to aim at China) and brings the British and Chinese to the brink of war all for the sake of broadcasting rights and ratings; it is strongly implied that he masterminds numerous other crimes and catastrophes for the sake of his business so that his outlet can get the story first, and at one point he even organizes the murder of his own wife and makes a news story out of it. In his own words:

* This is definitely the belief of Elliot Carver, the media mogul villain of the James Bond film ''Film/TomorrowNeverDies'', to the point that he actually sinks a ship, massacres its survivors, steals a nuclear weapon (to aim at China) and beings the British and Chinese to the brink of war all for the sake of ratings and broadcasting rights; it is strongly implied that he masterminds numerous other crimes and catastrophes for the sake of his business so that his outlet can get the story first, and at one point he even organizes the murder of his own wife and makes a news story out of it. In his own words:

* This is definitely the belief of Elliot Carver, the media mogul villain of the James Bond film ''Film/TomorrowNeverDies''. In his own words:

* ''Film/{{Nightcrawler}}'' is about a videojournalist who sells footage of grisly crime scenes to the TV stations to air on their news broadcasts, and is willing to go to any length to get that footage. The film is a commentary on how this attitude warps people, with Nina, the news director at Channel 6, shown to be just as amoral as the VillainProtagonist Lou Bloom. It's even noted in one scene that crime rates in UsefulNotes/LosAngeles are going down, which threatens the bread-and-butter of Channel 6's news operation.

* [[InvokedTrope Invoked]] by name by KelseyGrammer's character in ''15 Minutes''.
* This is definitely the belief of Elliot Carver, the media mogul villain of the James Bond film Film/TomorrowNeverDies. In his own words:

* ''Film/TheNightFlier'': This is the entire tactic of the tabloid magazine ''Inside View'': the gorier and grislier the crimes they report are, the more issues it will sell. At one point the editor boasts that [[{{Jerkass}} he hopes the mystery killer claims more victims]].

The entire reason why MissingWhiteWomanSyndrome exists. Compare YouCanPanicNow, CouldThisHappenToYou. Contrast HumanInterestStory. When used in fiction, it's often a sign that the news outlet indulging in it is a StrawmanNewsMedia.

* ''NaturalBornKillers'' is a ruthless satire of this trope, focusing on a pair of [[OutlawCouple Bonnie and Clyde-esque spree killers]] who engage in their crimes in order to get media attention.

* In ''Film/{{Scream 1996}}'', this trope is personified with Gale Weathers, a tabloid reporter who cashed in on the murder of Sidney's mother by writing a bestselling book detailing her alternative theory of the case. In a subversion, [[spoiler:it turns out that she was right, and that Cotton Weary was innocent]]. Doesn't stop her from coming off as a sleazeball, though [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold she does get better]] in the sequels.
** In [[Film/{{Scream 2}} the second film]], the killer [[spoiler:(at least, one of them)]] planned on invoking this in order to get himself media publicity and a sensational trial.
** [[Film/{{Scream 4}} The fourth film]]'s killer had a similar motivation. [[spoiler:Jill would kill a bunch of people, then pin the murders on someone else and become the FinalGirl in her own real-life slasher flick, riding it to [[FifteenMinutesOfFame book deals and TV appearances]] much like her older cousin Sidney had done.]]

** The format failed miserably in the City of Brotherly Love, where the Philadelphia Journal folded after four years, having lost $14 million ($35.3 million in 2013 dollars).

* French canadian daily newspaper ''Le Journal de Montreal'' has never shied away from having its headlines based on the [[AddedAlliterativeAppeal catchy French alliteration]] "Sexe, Sang et Sport" (sex, blood and sports).

* Parodied somewhat {{Anvilicious}}ly in a ''ComicStrip/CalvinAndHobbes'' comic where Calvin's father is watching TV proclaiming upcoming coverage of a serial killing. He ends up reading the paper instead.

This mantra is deeply ingrained in journalistic norms. Newsworthiness is determined by several factors, and death/destruction fulfills many of them a lot better than news about society working its wonders another day. Also, because getting information on them is easy (through the police or government agencies via press releases) and since they take place on public streets where permits or business permission are never required to film near, they are generally rather cheap to cover. They also tend to provide flashy visuals. As a result of all this, AccentuateTheNegative tends to be in full effect at many news desks. Just look at your average day's worth of coverage from {{CNN}}, {{Fox News|Channel}} or your nightly NewsBroadcast and count the number of stories (or rather, the amount of coverage) given to good news rather than disaster and criticism.

-->-- '''Christine Chubbuck''', July 15, 1974, right before committing suicide on live TV

* French canadian daily newspaper ''Le Journal de Montreal'' has never shied away from having its headlines based on the [[AddedAlliterativeAppeal catchy french alliteration]] "Sexe, Sang et Sport" (sex, blood and sports).

->''"[[WhamLine In keeping with Channel 40's policy of bringing you the latest in]] [[{{Gorn}} blood and guts]], [[WhamLine and in living color,]] [[FamousLastWords you are going to see another first -- ]] [[DrivenToSuicide attempted]] [[DeadlineNews suicide]]."''

->''"[[WhamLine In keeping with Channel 40's policy of bringing you the latest in]] [[{{Gorn}} blood and guts]], [[WhamLine and in living color,]] [[FamousLastWords you are going to see another first]] -- [[DrivenToSuicide attempted]] [[DeadlineNews suicide]]."''

->''"In keeping with Channel 40's policy of bringing you the latest in [[{{Gorn}} blood and guts]], and in living color, [[FamousLastWords you are going to see another first]] -- [[DrivenToSuicide attempted]] [[DeadlineNews suicide]]."''

* Series/BabylonFive: Forell uses a variation of this trope with Delenn. [[http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/guide/077.html]]
* DiagnosisMurder: Murder x 4: Steve tells the assassin, who is terminally ill, that his death by a SWAT sniper will be broadcast on live television by 8 news reporters. [[http://www.tv.com/shows/diagnosis-murder/murder-x-4-15908/]], [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-DQd8Bw6ks]], [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-AuTq89CD0]], [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eEKJOxCnvY]], [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fdmQHXMYqQ]]
* {{Discussed|Trope}} by CharlieBrooker on ''Series/{{Newswipe}}'' [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qPtFe2hgOk&feature=related here]].

* "Dirty Laundry" by DonHenley is a biting take on this, and still relevant