As Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”
I second the PBS NewsHour. Current news and good personal interest stories. Lately, the broadcast TV news has gotten very formulaic - top headline (in their estimation), scary weather news, sensational videos (car wrecks, etc) and celebrity garbage presented as mentioned in a particular manner. And then ended with a positive story about a challenged individual. All interspersed with very peculiar pharmaceutical ads for drugs to treat rare medical conditions.
We have never had cable in our home, so we just watch the local & national evening news. BUT my office is right next to the customer lounge. Non-stop news. It drives me CRAZY. The endless analysis - especially of Trump - is nauseating. Granted they hate the guy - but this isn't news. It appears to be more blatant bias opinions regurgitated over and over again. I guess they figure they are getting a new audience throughout the day. Got it - they don't like Trump. They fact check his every word spoken in attempt to trip him up (seriously! its like shooting fish in a barrel). Please find more interesting news - give us some variety! :-)
Agreed. I used to like to watch the news, particularly CNN, but mainstream TV news outlets are a one-trick pony these days, and only bound to get worse as we move toward 2020.
I scan internet headlines on NYT and WSJ to get a gist of what's happening. I still like the Sunday morning news shows. My approach to watching the news is like my approach to dieting, it's all about portion control and nutrient density. Most news shows are the Twinkies of broadcast journalism, unfortunately. And sometimes I still eat that Twinkie.
Last edited by catherine; 4-4-19 at 9:35am.
"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
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I like news for adults, which mostly doesn't involve TV these days. I watch MSNBC at night, and have several on line sources, including the BBC and Al Jazeera, which I still miss--it was blissfully free of giddy "happy talk," which is rife on broadcast news, and you get an international viewpoint. I stopped watching local news when KOMO sold out to Sinclair, and oddly, I haven't missed it.
I agree with the ridiculous speedy pace and shrill presentations. For some reason I think TV has decided it has to mimic the internet, which means they don't offer anything too detailed lest we click away to another channel. Hence the sound bites that have substituted for news.
I also think they're too timid to take a stand on anything that's unpopular so we get only he said/she said coverage with the viewer left to guess what the real facts are.
I check out local paper online for local news of interest, and then I read magazines like The Atlantic for in-depth coverage of issues.
I'd like to stop watching the news, but it's pretty hard to avoid. I've managed to mostly stop watching cable news clips (via streaming) when I'm home, but when things get slow at work there's little to do other than surf the news sites. The company gym where I go most mornings has a half-dozen big-screen TVs in front of the treadmills permanently tuned to CNN, Fox, etc. I usually listen to audiobooks in the car, but sometimes I run out and will turn on NPR. I'm hoping to make further progress tuning out the news next year after I retire and have more control over my environment.
I wonder sometimes if my addiction to the news is something akin validation porn - certainly in today's news there are ample reasons to question the viability of this country and it's society. Every day there are more reasons for the awoken to question and debate and reassess. And for those who have the emotional strength to do the preceding, the endless news cycle sure gives validation for continuing to do so. Today's $64K question for this resident of the 85006 is: Why is education including university socialized in Argentina, a developing country that has definitely had its share of economic crisis. Yet no debt is necessary for a university degree. Pro Americans, explain this one away....good luck. Add socialized medicine to the mix that EVEN TOURISTS WITH NO LINK TO THE COUNTRY CAN ACCESS and yes indeed, America's got a heap of explainin' to do (I'm channeling Desi Arnaz today I guess)........
At any rate, once you understand and question the above and start seriously comparison shopping/brutallly analyzing your citizenship much the same way employers will analyze your work performance, the endless news cycle certainly is validating. Just a different perspective from the 85006 and a neighborhood that would be dealt a blow if Trump indeed does shut the border. Rob
At one time New York State had free university and I read one state is doing this but can’t remember which one. Last time the border shut down it cost 5.7 billion in only 5 hours. It would not be smart of trump.
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