I often wonder, and write, about the lack of good news about Blacks being published when there is a lot of good news out there. I wonder but I know the reason: bad news sells.
This "bad news sells" theology -- yes, theology -- is what drives most of the commentary about the Black community, in my opinion.
Why write about the growth in Black business when it's better to write how Black business is a small percentage of American business or how most Black businesses employ only the owner?
Why write about the fall in the out of wedlock birth rate when it's better to write about the percentage of children in single family homes?
Am I saying these things should not be mentioned? No. But, no matter how many times I say that, my critics still claim that is what I am saying.
It's very simple: If you want behavior modification, how do you best get the results you want? You use a combination of negative and positive re-enforcement with most of the re-enforcement being positive.
The most successful managers get the best out of their charges by using positive re-enforcement techniques. When you are raising kids, the quickest way to get the desired behavior, is to praise the kids when they exhibit the behavior they want.
Mostly negative re-enforcement works for a very short period of time. Over the long term, what you get is low morale and a re-enforcement of behavior that you do not want.
Again, I'm not saying that the negative news should not be stated, but to get the accurate view, the positive must also be stated.
The truth is, since negative news sells, those on the left and right who focus on race get more notoriety by doing it. And, IMO, that's what they want.
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