As a native (small n) American, I can definitely say that I'm aware of this and make it a point to not watch local news for exactly this reason; it consists of the local channels trying to out-compete each other for the largest fear hit. I don't believe it's at all healthy to consume with any regularity.

It's likely because we're seasoned advertisees. After all, America pioneered advertising. We're the most skeptical, targeted population on the planet, so of course when you come over here you're going to get a bit of culture shock when you see just how pervasive they are. But to us they're all just background noise.

If advertising doesn't work, they wouldn't do it.

Oh it works, don't get me wrong. It just has to evolve as the populace becomes more and more immune to it.

You tell people here this, they agree with you, and they go right back to watching it.

I had the experience of ... "commuting" between Montreal and Texas in the early '00s ( home was in Texas ) and at that time, TV was enough different that I finally saw it. I knew it was there, but coming home, the television was beyond annoying.

And, of course, I set about finding television that wasn't that way. This means CSPAN, a handful of series in the mold of "The Sopranos" and a few documentaries now and again. Which is nice. But I have a feeling that if everybody does that, it'll collapse.

The "how" is like what Scott Adams talks about with Trump's use of Master Persuader technology. Throw in "The Hidden Persuaders" and the collected work of Marhsall Macluhan too.

Oh, and with vanishingly few exceptions, the popular Internet media are the same or in cases, worse. This site to the exception of course.