Who doesn't read/watch the news?

[Sue J]

I go through phases of watching the news and then avoiding the news. I like the local 6pm newscast, especially their weather folks. Lately, I’ve been recording Stephen Colbert and watching the show in the morning, when I can skip the commercials. I know his political leaning and I like his humor. No surprises there.

There are times when the news just makes me feel turmoil and disgust and I’ll avoid it on tv and the internet.

My 33 year old son enjoys Twitter and he follows and retweets things of interest - science, technology, nature, astronomy, music, etc and also politics. If I need a quick overview of what’s “important” I check what he is retweeting and linking. Good enough for me.

 

[aja8888]

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 -

Try watching them with the audio muted and make believe they are talking to you! You will get a kick out of that.

 

[audreyh1]

Somebody must be watching this crap?

Saw the Dish Network truck at the new neighbors. Satellite TV is still very popular in our 55+ neighborhood. We only do video streaming and internet, but I can tell from conversations that we are very much the exception. Old habits die hard I guess.

 

[Walt34]

I only watch TV news at the gym, and only while on the treadmill and elliptical because the screens are right in front of me. The sound is off and closed captioning is on. We get a local newspaper in part because they do try to emphasize the positive like some kid got a full scholarship or gets to go to one of the military academies.

I occasionally read news sources online, but only trusted ones like Drudge Report.

 

[harley]

I haven't watched the news on purpose for decades. If it's important you tend to find out right away anyway (9/11). I do tend to get information on important events through osmosis, and if it takes a few days to hear it that only means I'm probably getting more accurate information. The desire to collect eyeballs causes news entities to announce stories without any idea what's actually happened/happening. I can honestly say that missing the news has not caused me a single problem in all this time.

I only watch TV news at the gym, and only while on the treadmill and elliptical because the screens are right in front of me. The sound is off and closed captioning is on.

I have a gizmo that is a universal remote for TVs, and back when I went to a gym I would use it to turn off the TV in front of the machine I was using. I also use it to turn off TVs in doctor's offices and places like that. Sometimes I just turn the volume down, but if it's news it gets turned off.

 

[audreyh1]

I haven't watched the news on purpose for decades. If it's important you tend to find out right away anyway (9/11). I do tend to get information on important events through osmosis, and if it takes a few days to hear it that only means I'm probably getting more accurate information. The desire to collect eyeballs causes news entities to announce stories without any idea what's actually happened/happening. I can honestly say that missing the news has not caused me a single problem in all this time.

I have a gizmo that is a universal remote for TVs, and back when I went to a gym I would use it to turn off the TV in front of the machine I was using. I also use it to turn off TVs in doctor's offices and places like that. Sometimes I just turn the volume down, but if it's news it gets turned off.

Wow I like your gizmo! Have to tell DH.

Yep - after a couple of days information is far more accurate. The immediate reporting is usually just gibberish and way off. So it’s great to miss that part. Breaking news....... - yep, usually the news is broken and takes time to be repaired.

 

[flintnational]

I read Sapiens this year. IIRC, the author makes the point humans spent a great deal of history in small tribal groups, 25 - 50 people. He goes on to suggest we are overwhelmed in a global world where we have access to news about 7 billion people. My take away was, worry about the 25 - 50 people in your immediate circle and try and eliminate the noise (AKA News).

 

[harley]

Wow I like your gizmo! Have to tell DH.

Yep - after a couple of days information is far more accurate. The immediate reporting is usually just gibberish and way off. So it’s great to miss that part. Breaking news....... - yep, usually the news is broken and takes time to be repaired.

Not currently available, it appears, but here it is - Micro Spy Remote | ThinkGeek

 

[HFWR]

I occasionally read news sources online, but only trusted ones like Drudge Report.

The Onion!

Turns out the truth IS stranger than fiction...

 

[aja8888]

I read Sapiens this year. IIRC, the author makes the point humans spent a great deal of history in small tribal groups, 25 - 50 people. He goes on to suggest we are overwhelmed in a global world where we have access to news about 7 billion people. My take away was, worry about the 25 - 50 people in your immediate circle and try and eliminate the noise (AKA News).

Thanks for the tip on the book. It looks like an interesting read.

 

[Scuba]

When I was in my 20's, I subscribed to two news magazines and also watched TV news. I realized how negative it was and cut it all off, following the principle of focusing only on what directly affected my life. I did continue to follow financial news (WSJ, Bloomberg) and professional publications as those did matter to my life.

Used this approach for 30 years with no problem. Just in the last few years, I added a news app to my phone and peruse it daily, but I ignore political news and stories about unresolved things such as the tax bill that has yet to be finalized. I mainly like business news and human interest stories.

 

[CaptTom]

I was still w*rking when the last presidential election cycle started. The political ads on the radio, driving in to w*rk, were the last straw. I installed a new radio that allowed me to listen to music from a USB or bluetooth cell phone. We'd also cut cable by then, and I could pick and choose which programs I wanted to stream on my laptop.

Since then I've drifted away from watching any video news. You might say I'm doing the opposite of all the media web sites, who are racing each other to "pivot to video," while they lay off anyone left who can do any real reporting or research.

Instead I've been looking at news aggregator web sites like Google News, where I can pick and choose not only which stories interest me, but can also choose different sites with different biases, so I get all sides of a story.

Just within the past few days, I've gone totally cold turkey with any political news. It's just too stressful, and it's reached a point where an average, moderate voter has no input any more. All of the decisions are made with the special interests of the donor class in mind.

My goal is not to get stressed out over things I have no control over. I'm done with politics.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Yeah, outside of reading the very-local paper once in a blue moon, I have given up watching/reading most of the other "news" sources. I am powerless to change about 99.99% of what is seen/reported/lied about, so no real need to get myself spun up about it.

Instead I've been looking at news aggregator web sites like Google News, where I can pick and choose not only which stories interest me, but can also choose different sites with different biases, so I get all sides of a story.

I used to use the Google "feed" on my tab to keep up with stuff that interested me, but that algorithm is all sorts of messed up. I would say out of 20 stories, I *might* be *mildly* be interested in one of them. I think I have ignored so many sources, that they are scraping the bottom of the barrel to "fill the feed", so 95% of the subjects that in it are totally useless to me. If Google listens in to my conversations to determine my content, then I must mumble A LOT.

 

[athena53]

I have a gizmo that is a universal remote for TVs, and back when I went to a gym I would use it to turn off the TV in front of the machine I was using. I also use it to turn off TVs in doctor's offices and places like that. Sometimes I just turn the volume down, but if it's news it gets turned off.

I'd buy one of those! Fortunately I don't spend much time in doctors' offices but it would be great in the hotel breakfast rooms. I see bits of the news on the TV in the gym locker room. If I had a daily diet of their headlines (violence, fatal accidents, missing children, global warming, terrorism), I'd be so depressed I wouldn't be able to get out of bed.

My TV has nothing but Netflix. I don't listen to the radio. I do scan MSN.com and get a few things of interest. My main source of news is the basics from MSN (plus a few items from FaceBook) supplemented by in-depth reporting via a German daily news podcast, a French documentary series and a few BBC podcasts. The non-US sources also give me a different perspective.

 

[ugeauxgirl]

As i am still w**rking I have plenty of stress in my life, thanks. I found watching the news was adding to my stress (during the last presidential election) and I cut it off. I tried turning it on after the election, but decided I was better off without. Also, after a break, I think the news analysis shows sound quite similar to my 10 and 13 year olds bickering. I get quite enough of that in real life.

My friends and colleagues now know that I don't watch TV and love to tell me about stories I missed (I look them up if I care) and I have a colleague who considers herself in charge of telling me if there is a major hurricane headed our way

 

[bclover]

I listen to my local news station KYW1060 when I wake up. primarily to get the weather, traffic and see if the Eagles won.
I work part time in a Bakery so I'm still doing early mornings, which forces me to go to bed before the 11 pm broadcast.

I think one of the issues with the news is that now it's 24/7. so in order to fill all that time you get "spin". crap that is really unnecessary.

Once a week I try to "disconnect" totally. the internet is getting just as bad, read a story and the comments afterward are horrible and if I go to my death bed without ever hearing the words "twitter" or "tweet", I'll die happy.

 

[Dawg52]

I like the Nightly Business Report on PBS. I also watch the local news. Other than that, don't watch much at all.

 

[audreyh1]

I always have a pair of headphones in my purse, and DH carries his if we are going to a doctor’s office. If their TV is distracting we use them without phones.

 

[Koogie]

As i am still w**rking I have plenty of stress in my life, thanks. I found watching the news was adding to my stress (during the last presidential election) and I cut it off. I tried turning it on after the election, but decided I was better off without. Also, after a break, I think the news analysis shows sound quite similar to my 10 and 13 year olds bickering. I get quite enough of that in real life.

I feel the same way. My business partner listens to talk radio during his morning commute where a panel of "experts" debates the news headline of the day. ie: political partisans screeching at each other.

Ghastly. I ask him why he subjects himself to it when we spend all day fighting with people on the telephone anyway.. !!

 

[bloom2708]

I rarely watch any news. I do visit CNN Money because it is mostly non-political, financial type news. I also occasionally scan the headlines on the bottom of the Bing homepage that opens when my browser opens.

If something important is happening, you will know. I did some reading on the Matt Lauer debacle.

Local news is not a good substitute. It is all car accidents, deaths, robberies, and stories I do not want to see.

I read and listen to music. Instead of watching the 10:00 news, I go to bed. An extra 30 minutes of sleep does wonders.

So, you are not alone.

 

[scrabbler1]

My main sources of national TV news are PBS Newshour, Washington Week, and C-Span. For local news, I watch my local cable TV news station, News12 Long Island. I also watch MSNBC's Morning Joe. I often watched Charlie Rose until he suddenly got yanked off the air.


On the Net, I look at News12's website, good for local weather and traffic reports. My local newspaper's website, Newsday, has more local news than News12. I take a peek at CNN's website for national news stories if I can't wait for my other sources to air their stories.

 

[audreyh1]

I have the CNBC stocks (well, any financial instrument) monitoring app. The one on my iPad reverts to "home" when it reloads which lists a bunch of financial headlines. The one on my iPhone thankfully stays on my personal monitor list. But even with the iPad one - I might see a headline or two as I switch to my list. It's enough to know a lot of "what's going on" without being subjected to any details unless I chose.

Probably more exposure than I want! But at least I can skip it quickly.

I get my weather info from the Weather Channel or website. Don't need broadcast news for that.

 

[athena53]

I feel the same way. My business partner listens to talk radio during his morning commute where a panel of "experts" debates the news headline of the day. ie: political partisans screeching at each other.

And interrupting each other. I hate that.

 

[kcowan]

We record CBS Sunday Morning, Saturday Morning and 60 Minutes. The latter is more news than we like but often in-depth perspectives.

We also avoid TVs in public places, most often by sitting under them facing away.

 

[CaptTom]

I used to use the Google "feed" on my tab to keep up with stuff that interested me, but that algorithm is all sorts of messed up. I would say out of 20 stories, I *might* be *mildly* be interested in one of them.

I avoid all the "push" news feeds; home pages like Google, FaceBook, and any others. They are simply tools to further analyze what you click on. That analysis is used to sell you things.

An ad-block browser or browser plug-in is helpful. There's also a plug-in called Ghostery which will block all the trackers on every web page.

I also set my browsers to delete all cookies at logoff. When I open a page like Google News, it's like I'd never been there before. No personalized selections based on my browsing history. I'm free to click on any story without having to worry about that being flagged as one of my interests.