People that avoid the news- good or bad thing?
mintbro
Posts: 6,733 Forum Member
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You often hear people who say they don't read the papers or watch the news because it's always depressing.
Now as much as it would be nice to pretend we live in some magical problem free world, surely it's best to have some sort of understanding of the problems around the world.
Personally speaking it's rare I read a newspaper now and I don't watch the news as much these days, but I'd say that's more because of the bbc news app.
Now as much as it would be nice to pretend we live in some magical problem free world, surely it's best to have some sort of understanding of the problems around the world.
Personally speaking it's rare I read a newspaper now and I don't watch the news as much these days, but I'd say that's more because of the bbc news app.
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As such, I have become more and more selective in what I watch and read, newswise. I have sometimes gone for a week or so without watching any news stations on TV, and I don't listen to the radio very much these days either. I do read online newspapers daily though, but even there I am becoming more selective in what I choose to read. Whereas in the past I would read and watch almost everything.
Is this a good or a bad thing? I don't know for definite tbh. What I do know is that I have become fed up with the agendas regarding news items - the BBC most blatantly, by pushing their partiality onto the public; and I haven't watched them for months now. I don't miss them I have to say.
Regarding all the bad news that we are being given: there is no balance any more. And I think 24/7 news is to blame - their repetition of the same (and often horrific) news stories ad nauseam isn't good imo. Yes, the public has a right to know about these horrors but there also needs to be balance, with showing good news stories too. That part has all but gone. I would bet that there is far more good going on in the world than there is bad - yet we are never told about any of it. Only a handful of people own the news and, not wanting to be a conspiracy theorist, I get the impression that they have their own agendas, by choosing what we get to hear about.
I'm turning to alternative media more and more too.
There's a guy in my office who will act in mock confusion if you talk about anything in popular culture. I've never watched even 10 seconds of Big Brother for example, but I don't pretend I've never heard of it.
As long as your Biased Media Reporting filter is on a high setting, being conscious of the world around you is a fundamental component of an interesting personality IMO.
I normally get my news from the net, from all different sites, not just one.
But it is getting more and more depressing, not that I do not feel for these people, but I have enough problems of my own.
We all construct our own subjective social reality regardless of how much news we consume.
My life has enough problems without seeing how shit rest of the world is.
And as said anything usually gets mentioned on here or other fourms and FB ect so it's not like I miss anything.
I rarely watch, read or take seriously anything in the MSM, as most of it is embellished propaganda, I have other sources where I get real news from mostly.
As for not taking an interest or avoiding news because it's too depressing, and pretending we live in a magical world, you're clearly not in touch with real news, as what's spouted each and every day in newspapers, the BBC and the like, is in fact magical to what is really happening.
You may well avoid the real truth if it was broadcast, there is far more going on that ought to be in the MSM than is, but it wouldn't put certain governments, corporations or the west in a very good light at all.
Burying your head in the sand won't make things better in this world.
Like what, don't keep us in suspense? What dramatic and unnerving things are happening that haven't been reported in the mainstream media?
Well look how familiar the public is with the porn filter. The news chose to run that story enough times so that the public was informed and understood what was going on. Now compare that to the NHS bill that the government put through. A bill that makes huge and significant changes to how the NHS works. They hardly covered it. Ask any informed member of the public what the porn filter entails they will explain it to you as the news informed them. Then ask them about the NHS bill, if they know what your talking about chances are they will have no clue what it changed.
One example of the news controlling political events by omission
Fair enough, I was worried for a minute that the person I quoted above believed in secretive underworld sects led by human-lizard hybrids controlled by the Illuminati. Plus other conspiracies A.K.A. "bull".
I've noticed this; if I have the news at 10 on its ITV's. More balanced, and quicker with breaking news.
I am missing news bulletins here and there lately as I'm sick of hearing about the migrant crisis and the cynical media coverage.
^ This, pretty much.