Cincinnati gorilla

[MomofMUltiples]

Could be. Having worked both sides (media and on the streets) it's really just a case of where our society is today. The reason the bloody stories are the leads on the news is because that's what people want to see, whether they admit to themselves or not. And we're at the point where it takes fantastical violence (like this gorilla) to really grasp everyone's attention. That's just the America we live in.

More than that, I believe the media created this problem due to the 24 hour news cycle and the stiff competition between network, non-network, online, print and social media for diminishing advertising dollars.  It's at the point where every media outlet is a tabloid, because what you need to do is grab attention/make a sale/get clicks, etc.  so you lead with gorilla stories and not hard news, or write bombastic headlines that have little to do with article content. Much less in-depth and investigative reporting, way more sound bites designed to grab attention. People are really lazy about their news these days. More interested in what some Kardashian wore than what's going on in the world.

[tower912]

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2016/06/grand_rapids_woman_who_videota.html#incart_gallery

Woman who shot the video sides with the mom.   

[Pakuni]

More than that, I believe the media created this problem due to the 24 hour news cycle and the stiff competition between network, non-network, online, print and social media for diminishing advertising dollars.  It's at the point where every media outlet is a tabloid, because what you need to do is grab attention/make a sale/get clicks, etc.  so you lead with gorilla stories and not hard news, or write bombastic headlines that have little to do with article content. Much less in-depth and investigative reporting, way more sound bites designed to grab attention. People are really lazy about their news these days. More interested in what some Kardashian wore than what's going on in the world.

Meh ... this is like blaming McDonald's for overweight people and Miller for alcoholics.
The media, like every other business, simply tries to respond to market demand. If the market primarily demanded 3,000-word thinkpieces on the impact of free trade on developing nations, we'd be awash with them. Believe me, every journalist I know would rather write that than compile some crappy listicle about the 10 best dogs for kids.
But the fact is, that's not what the majority of viewers/listeners/readers demand. And, in reality, it's never been what the market demands. Go read some newspapers from 100 years ago. Some of the sensationalism makes today's NY Post look like the Economist in comparison.