The news media have established a disturbing, reactionary record of scaring the American people. Indeed, it could be reasonably said that the media's self-serving irresponsibility has been responsible for the proliferation of multiple terrorisms across the United States.

From premature, sensationalistic releases of adverse public health and safety studies and discoveries, to gun violence in the schools and overly-speculative airplane crashes, the highly competitive, instant news media have unnecessarily exploited fears and perpetuated public anxiety.

Clearly, results have been media and government over-reactions, seriously affecting the public mind. Even to the extent of causing more threats and violence in schools as the result of compulsive, obsessive coverage of the Columbine High School tragedy.

Certainly, at the worst of all times, wild speculation of terrorism surrounding the Millennium is gaining frightening momentum among the media and government. Instead of creating a frenzy of explosive conditons, they should be the calming purveyors of selective, credible information and common sense.

Hopefully, they won't turn an otherwise peaceful event into a national media-driven panic.

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