Is it worse to admit to apathy or to feign empathy?

A lot of times it seems as if there's some kind of sick obsession with child abductions, natural disaster, etc... People sit in front of their tv sets with saucer eyes, getting their fix of the 6 o'clock news... seemingly to live vicariously through the murderer, or maybe the victim... OK maybe I'm ranting here. I guess my question is, from a religious standpoint, what would be so wrong with admitting you do not care about someone or some situation that has nothing to do with your own life? When did honesty become unholy?