Who doesn't read/watch the news?

[Jerry1]

I've gotten so fed up with the crap I see in the news that I'd like to turn it off once and for all. Problem is that I'm a news junky. Who here has pretty much checked out and what's that like? Would you know if a major event happened like a financial meltdown in 2008 or 9/11? Would you care if you didn't know? Is it liberating?

To do so, I think I'd have to cut my cable as well, but I'm on the verge of that too.

 

[RobbieB]

I like to watch the news too.

 

[aja8888]

Right before the last presidential election, I got so tired of the crap slinging and fake news that I have quit watching TV news and listening to news on radio. I also don't watch news on the computer. Not surprisingly, several of my retired friends do the same. But we are old dogs (65+) and really don't want any stress in our lives that we have no control over. Plus, most of the stuff that is blaring on the news is pretty low life stuff anyway.

If there were a "big" event, I'm sure DW would let me know what happened.

You know, I really feel more productive using my free time to do things that make me feel good.

 

[audreyh1]

There have been lots of threads on this topic. I assumed this was an old one resurrected!

No, we don’t watch news. We don’t listen to news. I may read an article now and then, but I don’t routinely monitor online news sites either. I just kind of pick up happenings second hand and if I’m interested, I’ll then google the topic.

Getting it out of our lives years ago was a big improvement!!

Around 2010 is when I finally gave up in disgust with news presentation pretty much everywhere.

 

[audreyh1]

Would you know if a major event happened like a financial meltdown in 2008 or 9/11? Would you care if you didn't know? Is it liberating?

Of course you’ll find out about stuff eventually. If it’s big everybody will be talking about it.

We were off camping. It was a few days before we found out about the shocking Challenger disaster.* Is that something we needed to know about immediately? No. It was a tragedy, but completely out of our hands.

Yes it is very liberating.

Remember most news sources are in it for the money and that drives the presentation. And they try to addict you and make you feel like you have to know everything, immediately, all the time, so you’ll stay glued to their channel. So much stuff is sensationalized, dumbed down, opinion and infotainment. No more in depth coverage: it’s mostly sound bites, superficial, what does Joe Blow standing on the corner have to say about it. Yuck.

*We noticed flags flying at half-mast and finally turned on the radio.

 

[Senator]

I read the news on the internet, where you know it's true.

 

[easysurfer]

In today's world, we can get the news anyhow, anytime, anyway.

For that reason, what is deemed newsworthy gets blurred between facts and entertainment.

How I miss the old days where I got the news of current events from Jay Leno's monologue .

 

[travelover]

I need to be on top of the news because my congressman is waiting breathlessly to hear my reaction.

 

[robnplunder]

Got rid of dishnework just to make sure I don't catch any of CNN, MSNBC, Fox garbage parading as news. Now, I watch "news" from YouTube only it it looks interesting.

 

[W2R]

I don't watch network TV news, or local news on TV any more. I don't read the newspapers or news magazines. I still find out about the big news stories almost immediately, from the internet or various other sources.

Like robnplunder above, I do listen to news on youtube if there is something going on that especially interests me; for example, I did that when I wanted to hear more about the Las Vegas shootings.

I feel like I am avoiding some.... what.... maybe brainwashing? or something, by doing this. I can't explain it. I just don't feel like the network news (on any network) is actually just news, just the facts, any more, and then there are all those commercials. I don't want to be manipulated like that.

I would suggest that you try it just to see what it is like. It's not an irreversible decision.

 

[RobbieB]

I like the really beautiful young women they have on the news now. Each of them displays an abundance of secondary sex characterisitics and are perfectly groomed to draw attention.

I like the news girls -

 

[DrRoy]

I read the news on the internet, where you know it's true.

My first laugh of the day.

 

[Another Reader]

I get my news here. Because, well, all the stuff that affects me is discussed in detail here by people with many of the same attitudes and beliefs I have.

Well, here and whatever shows up on the internet...

ETA: I have a TV that's five or six years old. Got rid of cable two or three years ago and haven't looked back. Recently thought about adding back basic cable or getting an antenna for the news. Decided against wasting my money, since I used to spend most of the news cast waiting for the weather report.

 

[flintnational]

The DW and I gave up local TV news (rape, murder, mayhem) 25 years ago. I gave up Cable news (partisan adults arguing like 5th graders) 3 years ago and Facebook (starving pets, unfortunate children and political non-sense) 2 years ago.

Yes, our lives are better without these things. YMMV.

 

[Winemaker]

During my career I was involved with several events in my industry, involving loss of life, possible loss of life, and serious accidents/conditions. In those 35 years, I never saw one story that was accurate. NEVER. The axiom that "if it bleeds, it leads" was all so true. When spokesmen from Federal, State, and Company officials make statements, and the media deliberately distort those facts, gave me great concern about the accuracy of other news stories. It is so much more prevalent today when news story head lines are OPINIONS and not FACTS.

However, I am addicted to hearing their spin and bias.

 

[HawkeyeNFO]

ABCNNBCBSPN .... it's all a bunch of crap. TV news these days is designed to scare the viewer, or else it's not going to be on TV.

Mom's advice is still right on: turn that thing off and go outside!

 

[RunningBum]

I record daily the local 6pm news, and the PBS News Hour and BBC America 1/2 hour news. I used to record CBS news instead of PBS but after the Brian Williams fiasco I dropped them. I often start watching almost as soon as they are recorded, since PBS doesn't have commercials to skip, but it doesn't bother me at all if I miss them. I skip over pieces I don't care about, and I'm not glued to the TV to watch. If something interesting does come on I can always back it up and replay. On the local news I usually just watch the first 10-15 minutes to see if anything important is going on, and skip out by weather time unless a storm is coming.


Funny thing, I used to only pay attention to the sports, but now I hardly ever watch it.


I also listen to NPR a lot during the day. PBS and NPR seem less overtly biased than the networks, but I recognize a bias nonetheless. It just seems more palatable to me.

 

[nativenewenglander]

I stopped listening to news on the radio, we don't watch cable tv, that's a blessing in itself. I read some on Twitter when a big news item hits as I find I can self-filter the BS out. Today news seems more like propaganda than informative, but maybe it's always been that way and I'm just waking up to it.

 

[Go-NoGo]

FOXABCNNBCBSPN .... it's all a bunch of crap. TV news these days is designed to scare the viewer, or else it's not going to be on TV.

Mom's advice is still right on: turn that thing off and go outside!

Fixed it for you, they are all crap.

 

[Car-Guy]

Sometimes I get tired of watching any/all of the news channels but it is probably the best source to keep up with what is going on. The problem is sorting through the BS, lies, spins, bias, etc. But, it keeps you on your toes picking out the actual news and truth. Do they (the news media) really think the general population is that stupid!

 

[audreyh1]

However, I am addicted to hearing their spin and bias.

Oh god, I can’t bear that part. How do you stand it?!?

 

[nativenewenglander]

ABCNNBCBSPN .... it's all a bunch of crap. TV news these days is designed to scare the viewer, or else it's not going to be on TV.

Mom's advice is still right on: turn that thing off and go outside!

My mom had a similar quote: Why don't boys go outside and get the stink blown off of you. She didn't mince words.........ever.

 

[Midpack]

I used to watch a lot of news. I used to record Charlie Rose PBS show only to watch a handful of guests, that’s gone - good riddance. Now I record PBS Newshour on Mon and Fri and watch some of it, though sadly they often have a clear bias. DW watches NBC news at 5:30p most days, and we both watch local news in the AM just long enough to see the weather. That’s pretty much it. I refuse to watch CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, Fox News or anything proudly partisan on television, radio or online.

I have a friend, very intelligent, who does not watch or listen to news.

Having unlimited news sources 24/7 sounded like a wonderful idea, so far I’d say it’s made us all more siloed and therefore hopelessly divided.

I don’t watch as much TV in general, don’t miss it. I know “get off my lawn...”

 

[SheitlQueen]

Right before the last presidential election, I got so tired of the crap slinging and fake news that I have quit watching TV news and listening to news on radio.

This is also how I feel. I don't trust most of what I read on the news. I look at two news sites on the computer in the morning-one I don't trust but I like the interface, and one I do trust. I take a quick scan to see if there are either any earth shattering events I need to know about, or any stories of interest. Most of the time I find neither.

I'd rather spend my time reading forums such as this one

 

[Pilot2013]

I read the news on the internet, where you know it's true.

"Don't believe everything you read on the internet."

-Benjamin Franklin