Does Soft News Threaten Democracy?

In his paper “Doing Well and Doing Good,” Thomas Patterson examined the amount of soft news that has appeared in the media over time and the implications of the appearance of soft news. Patterson concludes that soft news has increased significantly in recent years and while it may inform some people who would otherwise not be informed, soft news is potentially harmful to the democratic process and has more costs than benefits for democracy and public knowledge (Patterson, 2000). These findings raise an important question: Should soft news be so prevalent in the mainstream news media if it has the potential to reduce people’s knowledge and hurt the democratic process? The mainstream news media’s answer to this question could fundamentally shape our understanding of the world, so it is worth considering.