The Hidden News
Whether or not they’re aware of it, journalists put different topics in one of three spheres when thinking about their newsworthiness.
Most of the news you see is in the sphere you see below.
Click or tap the image to find out what doesn’t make the news.
Which sphere a topic falls into may be different in different places. The idea that criminals should be given the death penalty is mostly in the sphere of deviance in Canada but is in the sphere of legitimate controversy in the United States.
Different news outlets also have different spheres, though they tend not to be too different.
Spheres can also change over time. The idea of marriage equality for 2SLGBTQ+ people has moved in just a few decades from the sphere of deviance to the sphere of legitimate controversy and finally the sphere of consensus in Canadian news.
Which sphere a topic is put in can lead to false consensus or false dissent.
For example, the vast majority of climate scientists agree that human activity is causing major changes to the climate, but because the topic was put in the sphere of legitimate debate for many years many people believe it is still under debate by scientists.
Making it seem like everyone agrees on a topic where there is actually still debate
Making it seem like there is still debate on an issue where nearly all experts agree.