When I used the word "exploitation" here, I meant only that broadcasters often try to sensationalize their subject matter in order to juice their ratings, without any real regard for the subject itself.  I hope this clears it up instead of muddying the waters further.

An example of poor use of the subject would be the upcoming CBS miniseries, "Category 7: The End of the World", which I seriously doubt hopes to raise concerns about global warming.  ("As the disastrous storm gathers even more strength and begins to ravage the rest of the world, a television evangelist, preying on the fears of a storm battered nation, begins to broadcast alarming warnings of epic biblical plagues. As his predictions begin to come true, the deadly storm continues to wreak havoc worldwide, culminating over Washington, D.C.")