Abstracts & Observations: Would the economy improve if we just turned off the news for a while?

I know the economy isn’t hitting on all cylinders right now. I know that we all have to work a little harder these days. But I can’t help but wonder how much our economy stutters when the media chooses to focus on the negative day after day. I’ve heard that the stock market, in particular, is as much psychology as science. Investors work with numbers, statistics and….hunches. “Confidence” is so important to our economy that the Consumer Confidence Index is actually a key economic indicator. But I can’t imagine many out there feel confident in making investments or purchases right now when they’re bombarded with negative reports and, worse, commentary. This is not to suggest that the media shouldn’t cover these things. However, we all know that how it’s covered, how often it’s covered, and how it’s analyzed by the talking heads has a real impact on the viewer.I, for one, would like to hear a little good news now and then. It’s out there. We’re just not hearing about it.