Alarmism is excessive or
exaggerated
Exaggeration is the representation of something as more extreme or dramatic than it is, intentionally or unintentionally. It can be a rhetorical device or figure of speech, used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression.
Ampl ...
alarm of a real or imagined
threat
A threat is a communication of intent to inflict harm or loss on another person. Intimidation is a tactic used between conflicting parties to make the other timid or psychologically insecure for coercion or control. The act of intimidation f ...
. Alarmism connotes attempts to excite fears or giving warnings of great danger in a manner that is amplified, overemphasized or unwarranted. In the
news media
The news media or news industry are forms of mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public. These include News agency, news agencies, newspapers, news magazines, News broadcasting, news channels etc.
History
Some of the fir ...
, alarmism can often be found in the form of
yellow journalism
In journalism, yellow journalism and the yellow press are American newspapers that use eye-catching headlines and sensationalized exaggerations for increased sales. This term is chiefly used in American English, whereas in the United Kingdom, ...
where reports
sensationalise a story to
exaggerate small risks.
Alarmist personality
The alarmist person is subject to the
cognitive distortion of
catastrophizingof always expecting the worst of possible futures.
They may also be seeking to preserve feelings of
omnipotence
Omnipotence is the property of possessing maximal power. Monotheistic religions generally attribute omnipotence only to the deity of their faith. In the monotheistic religious philosophy of Abrahamic religions, omnipotence is often listed as ...
by trying to generate anxiety, apprehension and concern in others.
[T. Pitt-Aikens, ''Loss of the Good Authority'' (1989) p. 99]
See also
References
Prediction
Media manipulation
Fear
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