When satirists write that George W. Bush has cornered the market on fear, they're merely parroting real-life talking points of "progressive" pundits. The media flog fear.

Fear is an especially useful concept for headline writers because the word itself is so compact; and implies controversy. We need not fear fear, especially if we insist on setting the bar higher.

Higher than what? Let's just say that it's time for our first periodic survey of fearfully overwrought usages of "fear" in the news.

Supervisors fear for the mental health of tsunami relief workers. Hah! It's the effects of gallumphing NGOs in disaster zones that they should really fear.

Civil servants and pilots in New Zealand fear technology.

Farmers in New Jersey fear too much rain.

These Scots have "stink fears," but it doesn't have to do with their personal cleanliness.

Personally, I can't relate to fear of gambling. Or fear of going on the record. Ditto fear of franchises and termites.

There's the blog at FearBush.com, but I fear that with only three posts in the last six weeks, it's running out of steam.

Some Texans fear free trade with Central America, but the headline writer who confused Central America with Mexico is scarier.

Once upon a time, there was fear of hyper-links. What's that? Newspapers are still scared of 'em? (More here, scroll down to "hyperlinking").

There's a lot more to fear. So here's the Indexed Phobia List.

In case you're wondering, here's what I really fear: all the writers who use the phrase, "Be Afraid. Very Afraid."

Posted by Matt Rosenberg at April 3, 2005 05:39 PM

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