Another reason why news directors continuously show violence on the news is that it is cheap and easy. It is much easier for a reporter to find something unfortunate or tragic to cover than to thoroughly investigate a story. A good investigation can take weeks or even months to complete, whereas a crime or unfortunate event can happen at the spur of a moment. Those borrowed by satellite from a city 3,000 miles away are even cheaper and easier. It is more convenient for the reporter to flee to the scene and report on the spot than to spend time investigating something that may not grasp an audience as easily.
Convenience can certainly alter what goes into a news program.
News directors feel that if there were no violence on the news, it would be a dishonest broadcast. Perhaps news stations could spend some energy re-structuring the news. Currently, all major news stations deliver the same information. There is something extremely bizarre about the structure of a news program. Commercials are even taken simultaneously on different stations.