Has Anyone STOPPED Watching/Reading the News?

[harley]

I just walked into our sunroom, and for some unknown reason DW has the TV on and tuned to a network news show. Amazing! Things are horrible, and everybody is going to die! Things are worse than they've ever been! For everybody! They're even recalling ice cream! I had no idea things were so bad. I think I should build a survivalist bunker and stock it up immediately! Or maybe I'll just turn off the TV.

Seriously, I haven't seen network news in many years. It's incredible how they focus on negatives and hype. I think if people watch this crap it's no wonder so many people are panicked about everything. Such an easy solution (turn off the TV), but I doubt most people will ever do it. Not watching the shows doesn't keep you from knowing what's going on, but it certainly takes the edge off.

 

[W2R]

I just walked into our sunroom, and for some unknown reason DW has the TV on and tuned to a network news show. Amazing! Things are horrible, and everybody is going to die! Things are worse than they've ever been! For everybody! They're even recalling ice cream! I had no idea things were so bad. I think I should build a survivalist bunker and stock it up immediately! Or maybe I'll just turn off the TV.

Seriously, I haven't seen network news in many years. It's incredible how they focus on negatives and hype. I think if people watch this crap it's no wonder so many people are panicked about everything. Such an easy solution (turn off the TV), but I doubt most people will ever do it. Not watching the shows doesn't keep you from knowing what's going on, but it certainly takes the edge off.

+1

I was just thinking about network news and how awful it is, this afternoon. It's such a shame. I never thought that it would deteriorate to this extent.

The world is becoming a strange and different place. I'm taking the "pass the popcorn" approach, and constantly searching for better news coverage but without much luck.

 

[unclemick]

Guilty on all counts of obsessiveness.
Mostly because the level of energy dictates that more than a few hours of physical activity requires a "sit down" period, and a need to keep the brain active.
Still get two newspapers, and watch all channels (equal time), and when it's time to doze... NPR.
Deep into international politics, so online to AlJazeera English... for some balance. (that's English... not America).

But.. y'all are right... no need for information overflow. Beginning to make the first break, by doing books on tape. Bought 30 BOT from a recently closed local library for $.60 each... All my used-to-be favorite authors.

One of the things that I miss, is discussing the news with friends and neighbors. While I live in a CCRC, and have many friends here... no one to talk to about news, politics or religion. They're all smarter than me... and know better.

The other break-away from news, is nostalgia, from Turner Classic Movies... and Netflix... from back in the days when everything didn't happen in a dark room, and the actors didn't whisper or swear all the time. Just watched "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"...

So... onwards and upwards... time for closed captioning on TV and on-line Chicago Tribune and "Readability". Interim measures during the weaning-off period. Still far away from bingeing on YouTube or Facebook, etc., but am charging the phone for a Pokemon trip... Cheers...

PLUS the serendipity of U-Tube! You can learn to start a tractor and how to plow.

heh heh heh - Never know what you'll find there. Then there is always FOOTBALL! Yeah. Love Fall.

 

[Meadbh]

I never regularly watched American network news, not even when I lived in the US. I do keep up with world news by tapping into a variety of international news apps, ranging from the Guardian to CBC News to TheJournal.ie. The only American news bulletin that I am interested in watching is the PBS News Hour, because it is calm and analytical.

 

[pb4uski]

We DVR the evening news and watch it regularly...sometimes we even enjoy it.

 

[target2019]

Only watching NFL news from now to February.

 

[FUEGO]

I haven't watched the news in many many years. I just saw my first political advertisement a few days ago. I haven't heard Clinton or Trump speak for more than a few minutes each. I don't hear about all the shootings and violence and bloodshed.

It's pretty nice.

I check the weather occasionally (or walk outside to get a real time weather report). I subscribe to the economist's near daily email newsletter which sends the top 4-5 stories to my inbox. I know there's a war in Syria. England is Brexiting the European Union. The US is having a contentious election. Politicians are dishonest. Investment banks got busted for fraud/cheating/lying/whatever. It seems skimming the headlines gives you 80% of relevant news but it only takes about 45 seconds per day.

 

[COcheesehead]

No newspaper, no TV news, yet with social media I feel more on top of things then ever before. I follow CNN, BBC and the local channels on Twitter. I get all or more than I need.

 

[outdoorgirl02]

I stopped watching the news a few years ago and it has been great for me. No worrisome thoughts or visions of crimes entering my mind. I will glance through the USA Today app occasionally but can quickly browse headlines and only read what is appealing. I read the Sunday paper but only the fun stuff, not the hardcore news.

 

[plex]

Stopped watching in my early teens in the 90's. I noticed nearly all the information was very low quality, and filled with teasers for the only remotely interesting small portion. There really isn't that much critical information to report, so just reading articles that are particularly interesting as they come up was a far better.

 

[Winemaker]

Local news channels,and including cable news, give you just enough information to get THEIR point of view across.

Years ago, while I was involved in a few national stories in fire/rescue situations, I could not believe how far off the reported news was to the actual news event covered. Although the reporter may have used "shorthand" to write down information from official statements, it was severely misinterpreted when converted back to the presented story. And i figured if they could f#@k up a simple news story, what are the doing with one that is a little more complex?

 

[Blueskies123]

We DVR the evening news and watch it regularly...sometimes we even enjoy it.

Same here but we fast forward thru the bad parts. We usually end up watching half the show.

 

[dixonge]

We lost most news sources once we got off cable TV, but there are plenty of online sources. I've weaned myself off most of them by now. I follow a few people on Twitter who track a few niche categories, but nothing to do with party politics. I can see me dropping even those in the near future.

 

[harley]

Same here but we fast forward thru the bad parts. We usually end up watching half the show.

I was expecting this sentence to be

Same here but we fast forward thru the bad parts. We usually end up watching just the commercials.

The most amazing part to me is the way they will report on things as facts with absolutely no information. Balloon boy, the Boston Marathon bombing, the Atlanta Olympics terrorist, whatever. Not one of those stories ended up being anything like they were reporting at the beginning, but it's all about being first. Being right doesn't enter into the equation. They assume, rightfully it seems, that no one will remember or care how far off they were as the story unfolds. Grab those eyeballs!

 

[FUEGO]

Years ago, while I was involved in a few national stories in fire/rescue situations, I could not believe how far off the reported news was to the actual news event covered. Although the reporter may have used "shorthand" to write down information from official statements, it was severely misinterpreted when converted back to the presented story. And i figured if they could f#@k up a simple news story, what are the doing with one that is a little more complex?

This. I feel like print media (by print I mean reputable online sources like newspapers, magazines, etc) do a much better job once the dust settles. They have time to fact check, editors review things, sources are vetted, etc.

I've done probably several dozen interviews about FIRE over the past several years and the most thorough were the news mags and big name newspapers. They tend to get the facts straight.

TV news, on the other hand, is usually about being first and getting eyeballs. Accuracy isn't too relevant. If it bleeds it leads. Six second sound bites rule the broadcast. Not much complexity or analysis you can get from that, and it really distorts what your original source is actually saying due to the heavy editing.

 

[sengsational]

Now that I'm no longer commuting, I get a bit more news than before. Sounds a bit backwards, but, as a routine, I'd line-up my MP3 player with podcasts for my commute, so never had the radio on. Now, on the occasional car voyage, I'm not planning ahead, so end-up listening to the radio (usually NPR), and they have news on the hour.

The only news I get when I'm in the house is from FaceBook, or if my FIL calls and tells DW something. And DW checks the weather (if you call that news).

I might not be first to know, but if there's a meteorite about to strike, I'll find out about it.

 

[Persn]

Local newspaper only, thankfully a pretty good one. NO TV news. Ever. Mostly because it is boring. When they "follow" a story they are often reporting on their previous reporting (i.e,. people's reactions to the news, what John Doe said about X) and that drives me nuts, because I normally don't care.

SIL is hooked on a cable news network and she is always angry. I think there is a relationship there.

 

[nash031]

FIL/MIL visited a few weeks ago. FIL is going a bit crazy with politics and news these days. We told him that all cable news channels were off limits during his visit.

 

[6miths]

Gulf War 1 soured me and OJ coverage was the death blow for news. I like the 'Low Information Diet' idea too.

 

[gerntz]

Do NBC/CNN/MSNBC still exist?

 

[OneDay]

Yeah pretty much, no CNN, Fox, etc. I watch local news, unless they start talking politics.

 

[frayne]

News junkie here, just like to be informed.

 

[LitGal]

No, I Just Limit It

I subscribe to the local city paper 4 days a week, and watch 1/2 hr. of evening news just once (maybe twice?) a week.

It seems that bad news is endless: only the names, countries, cities or states, and details of misery change.

Generally, I want to know what is going on.......but don't want to waste much more life losing sleep over it. I already invested in that anguish during previous decades. It made little to no difference.

In FIRE, maybe l've become just a semi-informed slacker.

:rolleyes

 

[Choices]

No commercial TV, no radio. I glance at the headlines on my computer. No Kardashians, either. Ignorance is bliss! Right now I am watching "American Greed" on HULU. May look at cat videos later

 

[Al in Ohio]

We DVR the evening news and watch it regularly...sometimes we even enjoy it.

We do also. Watch it just about every night. Almost my entire adult life. I am a news junkie also and like to be well informed about what's going on both locally and around the world. Does the news seem any worse now than 10, 20, 30 years ago? Nope. Historically it's all about the same. I remember how depressing the Vietnam war news was each night, then watergate, Oklahoma City bombing Etc Etc. Things are no worse now. Those that think so really have short memories. I also don't get bothered by it. It's a cruel world out there. Always has been since the beginning of mankind. You have to accept that. The key is to not be where the bad things happen if you can help it. Be thankful if you can. Live in the positive. Don't be negative and don't listen to those who are, especially those lowlife media hacks who get paid to amplify what they want you to believe is so so bad.


Ps. Fortunately the news does surprise you quite often with a nice story about a Good Samaritan or heartfelt story about human kindness and just one of those per week wipes out all the bad news for me.

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