yes, i do think that mass media does have that effect on people in certain situations.
however, media exploitation of human suffering is pretty much par for the course. most of the news we get is sensational or about one person wronging another. the public's voyeuristic urge is so strong (like you alluded to in your post) that very little news is valuable to the consumer (of the news coverage) except in the form of entertainment. when you think about it... not much more than the weather, some sports and a bit of political coverage is all you really need to live out your life as you would do otherwise. anything on top of that is purely to satisfy entertainment demand.
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If you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance for survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.
~ Winston Churchill
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