Quote Originally Posted by Ray View Post
A moral panic is caused when an issue threatens the perceived social and the world order.
Panic is also often caused when an issue is perceived to threaten that order. The question in that case is whether or not that perception is reasonable. Jedburgh says it well:

well-crafted and focused panic and hysteria are excellent tools for building project support and raising funds.
When somebody wants us to be afraid, there's a very good chance that they're trying to sell something. Always good to take a deep breath and calmly assess the extent to which the alleged issue actually does threaten the social and world order, or any fraction of that order.