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Spotlight Fallacy: Difference between revisions
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* News media often seize upon similar stories in the wake of a large event; for example, following a story of a very rare unprovoked attack by an urban fox in Britain, newspapers are covering a far more minor case of a child who was bitten after pulling a fox's tail. Such spates of similar stories create an impression that a massive problem exists, when the only real difference is that every event is now being reported on.
* School shootings are given extensive media coverage and are a common fear for parents; in fact, they are so rare that a child is more likely to be struck by lightning than to be shot.
* Parents are terrified of their children being abducted by strangers, due to overwhelming coverage of such events (think Elizabeth Smart{{who}}). However, the ''vast'' majority of kidnappings are committed by immediate family members or close friends.
* Many people are scared of flying since plane crashes are covered almost every time one happens; car crashes are much rarer in the news. Multi-car pileups and fatalities are occasionally covered but still uncommon. But it is about 200 times more likely for a person to die in a car crash than in a plane crash.
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[[Category:Logical Fallacies]]
▲[[Category:Spotlight Fallacy]]
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