"All news is an exaggeration of life"

Schorr’s observation points to the gap between the rhythms of ordinary existence and the selection pressures of journalism. Most of life is repetitive, gradual, and ambiguous; most of what gets reported is sudden, extreme, and unambiguous. Editors and algorithms privilege conflict, novelty, and threat because those elements command attention, fit limited time and space, and can be shaped into coherent narratives. The result is not fabrication, but a steady tilt toward events and frames that heighten intensity.

Exaggeration happens in multiple ways: selection of outliers over averages, language that dramatizes uncertainty, visuals that focus on spectacle, repetition that makes rare events feel common, statistics without base rates, and binary framing that tidies complex tradeoffs. Live coverage compresses time, forcing tentative facts into definitive storylines. Economic incentives magnify the effect; in crowded markets, the dramatic beats the measured. Even well-intentioned reporting can overrepresent hazards and underrepresent the quiet continuity that actually defines most lives.

The exaggeration is partly structural, not merely cynical. Turning reality into stories demands emphasis; without it, audiences tune out. Yet emphasis without proportion distorts perception. People come to believe the world is more dangerous, polarized, or chaotic than it is, skewing policy preferences and corroding trust. At the same time, amplification can serve the public interest by spotlighting neglected harms and mobilizing accountability. The tension is unavoidable: news must be vivid enough to engage while remaining proportional enough to inform.

Two responsibilities follow. Journalists can counterbalance the exaggeration inherent in newswork with context, base rates, comparative risk, and transparency about uncertainty. Audiences can diversify sources, favor explanatory and data-rich formats, and pause before sharing the most sensational items. Remembering the bias toward the exceptional restores sanity: life is broader, calmer, and more continuous than the feed suggests, and good journalism earns trust by illuminating that continuity alongside the crises.