I was far from a fan of Steve Jobs, but that's one thing where I really agree with him:

  When you're young, you look at television and think, There's a
  conspiracy. The networks have conspired to dumb us down. But when
  you get a little older, you realize that's not true. The networks
  are in business to give people exactly what they want. That's a
  far more depressing thought. Conspiracy is optimistic! You can
  shoot the bastards! We can have a revolution! But the networks
  are really in business to give people what they want.

Which doesn't necessarily make his suggestion a bad idea, though. That broadcasting FUD is a profitable business model doesn't make it an ethical one.