Aristotle and that perception thing

SEDES's Security and Defense Observatory (OS&D) conducted a study between 2000 and 2024, concluding that the number of reported crimes decreased by 1.3 percent. Despite this, references to crime on the front pages of major national newspapers increased by 130%, demonstrating a stark discrepancy between reported crime and the public's perception of insecurity. SEDES's 2025 report concludes that this contrast contributes to the erosion of trust in institutions.

The report highlights not only this profound discrepancy but also another fact that reveals media persistence: "A crime used to be in the news for 2.6 days. Now, it's more than four days." It's therefore important to try to understand the reason for this seemingly strange situation.

Not only reporting but also exhaustively dissecting every crime, especially the most heinous, by the press but especially by television, particularly cable news channels, is our daily bread. It's safe to say this stems from the notion that audiences have a taste for blood, a human need that has existed since the beginning of time, as in the Roman Empire, when people enjoyed witnessing gladiatorial battles in the Colosseum and Christians being thrown to wild beasts.

Social media has challenged the practice of serious journalism, as a form of communication mediation, whose professionals are subject to a code of ethics, embrace the right to adversarial proceedings, and strive for impartiality. On the contrary, social media limits itself to spreading falsehoods, fails to verify facts, fails to exercise the right to adversarial proceedings, and lacks any ethical qualms. Their sole aim is to stimulate the algorithm, views, likes , and shares. Not to mention the fake accounts created solely to spread lies. As a result, some journalism has been affected, in some cases altering its editorial guidelines and exchanging factual confirmation, the integrity of sources, and the goal of impartial reporting—always in its DNA—for the voracity of the immediate and the frenzy of daily life.

But the fact is that excessive media coverage of violence, war, and crime often stems from political interventions, particularly from parties that use crime as a political weapon, dragging the media down the drain and thus generating a false perception of insecurity and a feeling of fear. According to a spokesperson for that association, "social media is a vector of insecurity through misinformation." This communication noise inevitably gives rise to speculation, a tendency toward justicialism, and security-oriented discourse, which then fuel all forms of populism on the left and right.

The much-vaunted subjective perception of insecurity that citizens experience, which undermines trust in democratic institutions and the rule of law, also contributes to compromising the design, development, and effectiveness of public policies, leading governments and administrative institutions to act based on perceptions rather than facts themselves. Schopenhauer knew that "The first step on the path of critical thinking is to understand that the perceptibility of something does not imply its existence."

Even phenomena that diverge from the traditions, customs and practices of the social order contribute to the individual perception of insecurity, particularly among older individuals.

Since security is essential for the harmonious development of a society, it is obvious that information occupies a central place in this matter, as it can encourage barbarism or civility.

Aristotle said that "The fundamental value of life depends on perception and the power of contemplation rather than mere survival." The problem is that many are just trying to survive instead of refining their perceptions, accepting without criteria all the garbage that is thrust upon them.

The texts in this section reflect the authors' personal opinions. They do not represent VISÃO nor reflect its editorial position.