View Full Version : "The News" - how do you survive it?
I upgraded the TV I used in our "movie room" simply to watch streaming movies.
I put the old TV up in the kitchen, so I could use it to throw up recipes from my iPad, and for a few of the apps on the old AppleTV brick I plugged into it - weather and so on.
However, it can also watch "TV", streaming, something I've not done in 20+ years.
So I innocently fired up a couple of the news channels the past few days - CNN, Fox, CNBC, BBC.
How can people survive this?
The shrill voices of the presenters. Who speak so terribly fast, and often quite loudly. Who say such inane, illogicial, unperceptive/uninformed things? The surface-level outrage, shaming, divisiveness.
It's just dreadful.
Going back to using that TV for the "display great works of art" app.
iris lilies
4-3-19, 1:27pm
I haven’t watched TV news in decades especially national news. I have a vague memory of watching local news probably 15-20 years ago because I recognize the weather guys and of course I catch glimpses of all broadcasters now and then. Back When I was watching national TV news there was no Fox News or no CNN. So that tells you how long ago it was. Oh yeah, we have never had cable so that plays into it.I’m not sure that I ever actually sat down to watch it anyway I might’ve turned it on as I was working around the house.
Anyway – let me tell you that the radio which is on almost constantly in our house is no damn better.
One of the unintended consequences of us buying a house in Hermann is that DH is gone a couple days a week and I have blessed silence. For reasons I won’t go into I don’t even listen to NPR now, and I miss what NPr used to add to my life. I will listen to one of the commercial radio stations for a short time when DH is not here.
I watch news MAYBE once/week. I do want to try to keep up but it's tough to swallow all the bad news in our community and our country.
dado potato
4-3-19, 1:43pm
When the cable news is on, I tend to go to another room and do something interactive: like keeping up with the new posts here!
I can do stealthy random acts of kindness from the PC. For example a donated $50 to sponsor a student for the Annual Dinner of the Larimer County Democrats. (I have never been to Fort Collins, but maybe some-day!) The dinner full price is $90, which could be a deterrent to the typical college student. My sponsored ticket for this anonymous student will have the Bayard Rustin quotation: Tell truth to power.
Teacher Terry
4-3-19, 1:45pm
If I am home I watch the local news and national news at night.
I'm a heavy consumer of cable "News", although I'm not naïve enough to believe the descriptor. It's not news but opinion, and every "news" outlet has its own preferred ideology to promote.
My current favorite is MSNBC where I begin each day watching and listening to the Morning Joe crew go out of their way to denigrate the current administration, followed by hour after hour of attractive hosts/hostesses doing the same, with each featuring a crew of "Road Warriors" following around their favorite 2020 candidates ( mostly Beto O'Rourke) gushing about how awesome they are.
I believe News stopped being "News" when Walter Cronkite, Chet Huntley and David Brinkley retired or died. It's now entertainment, designed and promoted for particular audiences. The secret to a contented "News" consumer and a distressed consumer is knowing the difference between the two.
It's now entertainment, designed and promoted for particular audiences.
What's got me on-edge isn't the exact content or spin, as I surveyed "all the sides". It's the presentation style - the speed, the vocal quality, the audio mixing - it seems calculated to raise BP/heartrates just from the barrage of noise and the speed.
I wonder if there's a market for "the slow quiet news channel" :-)
I wonder if there's a market for "the slow quiet news channel" :-)
PBS Newshour is the best of the what I've seen for those qualities.
PBS Newshour is the best of the what I've seen for those qualities.
Thanks, I shall investigimate :-)
SO likes to watch the sunday morning talk shows. I just can’t... Listening to a bunch of predictable arguments is not my idea of a good time. thankfully i can go to another room when he gets up.
What's got me on-edge isn't the exact content or spin, as I surveyed "all the sides". It's the presentation style - the speed, the vocal quality, the audio mixing - it seems calculated to raise BP/heartrates just from the barrage of noise and the speed.
I wonder if there's a market for "the slow quiet news channel" :-)
That is precisely why I don't have TV connection. I get my news online in the morning, once through the day and in the evening. I try for the local and the international news. The world will keep turning without further observation from me.
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! :-)
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.
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.
gimmethesimplelife
4-4-19, 12:30pm
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
Teacher Terry
4-4-19, 12:35pm
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.
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.
Now the “national emergency” has been relegated to next year.... Can’t wait for the drama king to be gone!
My life now...…..I am still working fulltime, hubby is retired.
He watches FOX news too much especially during dreary weather.
Which he wants to DISCUSS when I get home.
Needless to say, I've about discouraged him from bringing up the subjects.
HappyHiker
4-5-19, 11:57am
I find the less news I watch, the more calm I am. I still catch headlines on my computer "splash" page, but only click on a few headlines. On Fridays, I like to tune into the PBS Newshour to catch the two commentators/columnists, Mark Shields and David Brooks, express their opinions on the news of the past weeks. They are erudite, droll, well-informed, and express opposing viewpoints (at times) in a non-combative fashion. And they don't yell...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BiLVPp7DuQ
I don’t have cable. I will watch the local news (WGN) and various news programs on PBS. I listen to a combination of WGN AM, the local all news radio station, NPR, and BBC Radio.
I am a former newspaper reporter. The news doesn’t bother me at all. Keeping up to date is kind of a hobby of mine.
The only time I see cable news is when I am on the recumbent bike at the gym a few days a week.
flowerseverywhere
4-5-19, 10:08pm
The tv news is deplorable. The news/actors interrupt, argue and badger their guests. Who would show up for that! They criticize each other. They mock and make fun of the slightest gaffe. The goal of some is to make non Christian and non white folk look like evil, frightening terrorists. Or to blame everything on Hillary and Obama and talk about all their failed scandals.
Rumors and conspiracy theories are spread. Ideas are put in people’s heads that they already believe, like Hillary or Trump are crooks or liars.
In the meantime, where is that pesky healthcare that was supposed to be cheaper, cover more people and be comprehansive that Trump promised would happen on day one? I thought Trump had the Daca and LBGT people’s backs? I thought Mueller would lead Trump and his kids away in handcuffs? Where are all the smocking guns?
You mean some of the news was UNTRUE! I’m shocked.
I think Saturday Night Live had a skit years ago when this phenomenon first started. It featured 2 guests of opposite opinions. The liberal guy was a stereotypical professor with bow tie, trying to give academic answers to issues being discussed. The conservative guy was loud, brash, and interrupted and talked over the professor with the moderator's approval. The moderator chastised the professor for not speaking enough, saying "jump in!" while the professor looked overwhelmed... He didn't realize the rules had changed and that TV news was about drama and entertainment, not presenting facts.
I think Saturday Night Live had a skit years ago when this phenomenon first started. It featured 2 guests of opposite opinions. The liberal guy was a stereotypical professor with bow tie, trying to give academic answers to issues being discussed. The conservative guy was loud, brash, and interrupted and talked over the professor with the moderator's approval. The moderator chastised the professor for not speaking enough, saying "jump in!" while the professor looked overwhelmed... He didn't realize the rules had changed and that TV news was about drama and entertainment, not presenting facts.
Remember SNL's "Jane, you ignorant slut?" When Dan Ackroyd and Jane Curtin performed that in the mid-70s, little did they know how close to 21st century news discourse their satire would become.
Remember SNL's "Jane, you ignorant slut?" When Dan Ackroyd and Jane Curtin performed that in the mid-70s, little did they know how close to 21st century news discourse their satire would become.
It was actually satire of it's current time, based on the recurring 60 Minutes feature "Point-Counterpoint" with Shana Alexander and James J. Kilpatrick.
It was actually satire of it's current time, based on the recurring 60 Minutes feature "Point-Counterpoint" with Shana Alexander and James J. Kilpatrick.
That's right! Thanks for the reminder.
That's why I like what I call "adult news." No drama, civil discourse.
gimmethesimplelife
4-6-19, 11:46am
Now the “national emergency” has been relegated to next year.... Can’t wait for the drama king to be gone!Frugal one, I take it you have the faith that Trump will not be reelected then? I wish I could be so optimistic, but I'm also glad to see this optimism in others......Rob
Frugal one, I take it you have the faith that Trump will not be reelected then? I wish I could be so optimistic, but I'm also glad to see this optimism in others......Rob
I am not a religious person but I am praying that is so!!!!
I second the PBS NewsHour. Current news and good personal interest stories.
+1
Can I just add that even PBS and other news outlets are still so Washington D.C. centric? It's like 28 minutes of what's happening on Capitol Hill, and maybe 2 minutes of a feel-good story in Nebraska or someplace. Yes, I'm exaggerating, but I think there are interesting things being done at the state and city level that deserve lots more attention than the latest federal happenings.
Can I just add that even PBS and other news outlets are still so Washington D.C. centric? It's like 28 minutes of what's happening on Capitol Hill, and maybe 2 minutes of a feel-good story in Nebraska or someplace. Yes, I'm exaggerating, but I think there are interesting things being done at the state and city level that deserve lots more attention than the latest federal happenings.
Don't forget that there is a whole world of activity going on that will impact North America. Where is your source for this?
ToomuchStuff
4-13-19, 11:16am
If you haven't guessed by now, I have avoided this thread, because I tend to avoid the "news".
I view it similarly to the local newspapers, who give out free papers, so their distribution rates are higher, then charge more to the advertisers and the subscribers, while leaving out things requested by their patrons, and repeating the cycle.
News does things similar with "coming up" or news that you have read online, days or months before, etc.
Don't forget that there is a whole world of activity going on that will impact North America. Where is your source for this?
I absolutely agree that the legislative and budgetary and judicial decisions made in Washington D.C. have far-reaching consequences. However, I also see that most of the cultural changes that have happened have been from the bottom-up, so to speak: feminism, civil rights, gay rights, environmentalism, etc. So, I don't have a link to show this D.C. focused news reporting, it's just my perception of what I'm seeing as "news" on a regular basis.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2025 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.