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Sorry for replying this late, what cities do you feel get too much negative press? Which ones do you think get overhyped? Just want your take.
Sometimes the positive stuff is PR. The local tourism or economic development agencies can flood the media with press releases and free tours. Subsidizing movie locations and actual advertising also play roles. Click bait type publications and even honest reporters often love the easy way.
This works for specific developments too. Several years ago there was a period where the Belmar mixed-use redevelopment in the Denver area was seemingly in every article about infill. It wasn't a particularly special or unusual development, but they did a ton of media relations.
Negative press can get tons of clicks, so the media loves it. That might be ongoing side stories after a protest that turns violent. Or the "Year of Detroit" recently by a major news magazine. Detroit shows another pattern we love -- the turnaround story. How many reality shows about hoarders etc. are basically the pattern of Detroit's coverage?
Boston being the most racist city... you get hit with a ton of the yeah buts...
Does the exact same thing happen in your city ... yeah but....
In my opinion, that still doesn't change the narrative of Boston nationally or internationally. Boston still gets praised for its economy, jobs, hospitals, universities and sports teams. It doesn't stop tourists from visiting Boston, and it doesn't stop people from moving to Boston in droves. There's always pretty good perceptions of the city. At least, Boston isn't written off before its explored like Cleveland or most Midwest cities. Boston is not the outcasts of America like cities outside the Coasts are.
Cleveland or any Midwest city outside of Chicago gets negative press for economy, jobs, population loss and yes sports teams. "The Rust Belt" is a representation of decay and what's everything wrong with America as if it's the Midwest's fault for America's problems; it's definitely 3rd World Country to most of the U.S. Everyone has negative perceptions of the Cleveland and/or other Midwest cities (outside of Chicago) from the media and social media.
Last edited by QCongress83216; 10-29-2017 at 07:26 PM..
Yes! People believe those stupid lists. Affordable really means living in an ghetto to get by.
From what I've observed on CD "affordable" means people expect to find the same low Midwestern rents they are used to available in the trendy, popular city they want to move to usually on the West Coast or PNW. You don't have to live in a ghetto to get by in every city in the US. There are perfectly fine city neighborhoods that have reasonable rents.
I think it definitely shapes people's perceptions; but only because people ALLOW the media to. I know back in the 1960's, 70's, and 80's TV shows depicted California as a perfect utopia. It does have nice weather, lots of recreational assets, and a variety of topography. But it also has an insane cost of living, horrible natural disasters, and a sheltered image of itself. It has its good and bad, just like every other place. But Pittsburgh, PA, for instance, suffers from its pre-1980's image and is, actually, a wonderful place to live in many ways. Again, every area has its merits and its warts. But too many people allow "image" rather than facts to mold their thinking. Great post!
Of course, the media plays a pretty big role in cities reputation, they often set the tone of what to do or expect when you do actually visit as well.
NYC, LA and to a lesser extent, Chicago are prob the biggest examples of this, since they are in TV shows and movies more than any other cities. Everyone knows the "must sees" because they have seen them over and over again in movies or TV shows. Even people who avoid the tourist traps out of principle are being effected by the media.
I think It's pretty hard to actually get a good grasp on a place. A visitor to a new city can look at it in a way that a lifelong resident can't which will be different from the perspective of a transplant.
I think the best we can do is openly admit our bias since we all have it anyway. This doesn't mean that some people have more informed opinions than others, some people absolutely do.
I think it definitely shapes people's perceptions; but only because people ALLOW the media to. I know back in the 1960's, 70's, and 80's TV shows depicted California as a perfect utopia. It does have nice weather, lots of recreational assets, and a variety of topography. But it also has an insane cost of living, horrible natural disasters, and a sheltered image of itself. It has its good and bad, just like every other place. But Pittsburgh, PA, for instance, suffers from its pre-1980's image and is, actually, a wonderful place to live in many ways. Again, every area has its merits and its warts. But too many people allow "image" rather than facts to mold their thinking. Great post!
Good points. The media has shaped most cities outside of the Coasts and Sunbelt as representations of decay, poor, dying and burned out factories to the world at large. My hometown Cleveland also suffers from the pre-1980s image as well. When people visit most of them say that they're surprised at city because a lot of them have heard bad things about from the media, comics, celebs and social media. People allow image to cloud their facts because even if they don't have going on they wanna look like they have going on. Some people will go broke just to say that they live in a cool, hip city. Why do you think people let image override facts?
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