Katie Couric's Notebook: Media & Economy
Video: That old saying implies journalists are just a bunch of Debbie Downers who only want to tell you bad news.
Well, the economy has been hemorrhaging for months. The Dow has dropped 30 percent since November, and from the managers to the mail room, everyone is feeling the sting.
But in reporting the news about job cuts and bank bailouts, do the media actually make the economy worse?
A recent poll indicates 55 percent of Americans think so.
Four million people have lost jobs since the recession began, and families are scrambling to pay mortgages and healthcare bills. These are facts.
But this is also a fact: 72 percent of Americans say they still believe in the American dream: that with hard work, they'll eventually achieve their goals.
The media must not sugar coat the truth, but we also have a responsibility to convey the whole truth. Times are tough, but confidence is the tourniquet that will ultimately stop the bleeding.
That's a page from my notebook.