--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People tend to assess the relative…" description: "\"People tend to assess the relative importance of issues by the ease with which they are retrieved from memory—and this is largely determined by the ext..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/891/daniel-kahneman-431_accidents_people-tend-to-assess-the-relative-impor_3108740.jpg" --- # People tend to assess the relative importance of issues by… ![“People tend to assess the relative importance of issues by the ease with which they are retrieved from memory—and this is largely determined by the extent of coverage in the media. Frequently mentioned topics populate the mind even as others slip away from awareness. In turn, what the media choose…” quote by Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/891/daniel-kahneman-431_accidents_people-tend-to-assess-the-relative-impor_3108740.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/891/daniel-kahneman-431_accidents_people-tend-to-assess-the-relative-impor_3108740.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/891/daniel-kahneman-431_accidents_people-tend-to-assess-the-relative-impor_3108740.jpg) > “People tend to assess the relative importance of issues by the ease with which they are retrieved from memory—and this is largely determined by the extent of coverage in the media. Frequently mentioned topics populate the mind even as others slip away from awareness. In turn, what the media choose to report corresponds to their view of what is currently on the public’s mind. It is no accident that authoritarian regimes exert substantial pressure on independent media. Because public interest is most easily aroused by dramatic events and by celebrities, media feeding frenzies are common” [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Media coverage shapes what we think is important, creating a feedback loop that can be exploited by authoritarian regimes. **In simple terms:** Media bias influences public perception. Key Takeaway Critically evaluate media sources. Themes media bias public perception information control cognitive shortcuts Mood analytical critical Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - news consumption - media literacy workshops - policy analysis - public debates Key Concepts availability heuristic agenda setting propaganda Questions to Reflect On - What sources do you trust and why? - How can you diversify your information diet? A Different Perspective Awareness alone may not change entrenched biases. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accidents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accidents/) [Awareness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awareness/) [Common](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/common/) [Coverage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coverage/) [Coverage Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coverage-media-2382173/) [Determined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determined/) [Dramatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dramatic/) [Ease](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ease/) [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Feeding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeding/) [Importance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/importance/) [Importance Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/importance-issues-2382174/) [Independent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independent/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [Media Frequently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media-frequently-5420503/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Pressure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pressure/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Public interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-interest/) [Public Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-mind-906954/) [Regimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/regimes/) [Relative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relative/) [Relative Importance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relative-importance-1498187/) [Topics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/topics/) [Turns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/turns/) [Views](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/views/) ## Related quotes > [“People tend to assess the relative importance of issues by the ease with which they are retrieved from memory—and this is largely determined by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/people-tend-to-assess-the-relative-importance-of-issues-by-the-ease/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“People tend to assess the relative importance of issues by the ease with which they are retrieved from memory—”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/people-tend-to-assess-the-relative-importance-of-issues-by-the-ease-2/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“For example, students of policy have noted that the availability heuristic helps explain why some issues are highly salient in the public’s mind while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/for-example-students-of-policy-have-noted-that-the-availability/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [There are fewer media writers in traditional settings. 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