Research

STARTING POINT
This is a branding design project based on drama study and journalism study concerning the term ‘tragedy’.
Drawing from the research question ‘Is tragedy for sale?’ this project questions the concept of tragedy in the commercial and mass news media criteria.

News of tragic stories, social interactions gone violent, natural phenomena, fatal accidents and death flood the headlines of media sources such as news portals and social media platforms. Each article and news channel are fighting for the audiences’ attention and clicks. Tragedy as well as other news topics is for sale in low prices as if it is a commodity.

Making profit out of tragedy is usually considered as a taboo. However, the consumption of real-life tragedy is allowed in news only because it does not look like entertainment. Because it is called “news”.

negativity bias

Research topics:
The paradox of tragedy
The definition of tragedy as drama art and the perennial question of why humans are attracted to painful arts.

All news is bad news
The negativity bias and why humans have collective hunger to bad news and information of what is happening to whom.

Tragedy is beautiful
Analysis of how tragic news is designed in visual and plot. Comparison of visuality and structure between news and theatre.

Is tragedy for sale?
How the news business is making profit and analyzing their audiences. Deeper analysis of tragic news within UK news media using statistic research and visualisation.

Research findings suggest that some UK tabloids tend to report domestic and private incidents concerning any deaths as “tragedies”. When comparing the contents of tragedy in news to tragedy as drama, news focuses only on the climax of the event. The audiences are sharing sympathies on online platforms with adding “RIP” in their comments.

world map of tragedy

FATAL questions the concept of tragedy in the mass news media criteria and the cathartic pleasure we get from consuming tragic news.
Aiming at discursive interactions, the brand uses irony and discomfort. The retail shop commercializes on real-life tragedies at affordable prices to replicate the tragic news consumption.