How do you get your news

[DaveA]

On a sad note. IMHO, many folks ONLY watch the news sources that reinforce their beliefs. And they accept that as (in courtroom jargon) "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth- - ". Sometimes what they are listening to is far from it.
I'm probably guilty of it myself at times.

 

[Sunkist]

I read various national news sites for national/world news, and news sites for regional t.v. stations for regional news. My location doesn't have any media.

I rarely see any news on t.v., because I was without a t.v. so long that I still don't know where to find anything.

 

[retiredtraveler]

I'm a news junkie and read/watch news for at least 2-3 hours a day. Some local, some national, some world. BBC and PBS mostly.

 

[horseless carriage]

I'm a news junkie and read/watch news for at least 2-3 hours a day. Some local, some national, some world. BBC and PBS mostly.

Years ago I switched off the news, it was always negative, often borderline propaganda and left me feeling depressed afterwards. Added to that was the amount of time consuming the news took. Some of the reports got me worked up emotionally. It occurred to me that if I was interested in learning more about a topic, I can easily research it online and have discussions with others, but I avoid news sites, online, on the radio, on television and in newspapers.
Benefits:
My mood is overall more positive, no more sense of depression or feelings of anxiety or fear and I tend to have a more positive view of others. I have more time to spend on music and engaging with other people in real life
Negatives:
I don’t know what’s going on in the world unless I hear it from others or see a headline here or there. I have no regrets about my decision so far. It’s been an interesting judgement, and I plan to carry on with it.
Thoughts? Am I just putting my head in the sand?

 

[jujube]

With a grain of salt.....some days, a salt lick. And a lot of eyerolling....

 

[WheatenLover]

Years ago I switched off the news, it was always negative, often borderline propaganda and left me feeling depressed afterwards. Added to that was the amount of time consuming the news took. Some of the reports got me worked up emotionally. It occurred to me that if I was interested in learning more about a topic, I can easily research it online and have discussions with others, but I avoid news sites, online, on the radio, on television and in newspapers.
Benefits:
My mood is overall more positive, no more sense of depression or feelings of anxiety or fear and I tend to have a more positive view of others. I have more time to spend on music and engaging with other people in real life
Negatives:
I don’t know what’s going on in the world unless I hear it from others or see a headline here or there. I have no regrets about my decision so far. It’s been an interesting judgement, and I plan to carry on with it.
Thoughts? Am I just putting my head in the sand?

No, you are not just putting your head in the sand. If you paid a lot of attention to the news, unless you have super powers you cannot fix what you think is wrong. Not much you can do to be effective. Not much you can do except be depressed, or fearful, or sad, or angry. Not many of us can do anything that makes a noticeable difference. That's why voting is so very important.

Meanwhile, the effectiveness with which you deal with your own life is important because you can make a noticeable difference.

 

[stretch5881]

Years ago I switched off the news, it was always negative, often borderline propaganda and left me feeling depressed afterwards. Added to that was the amount of time consuming the news took. Some of the reports got me worked up emotionally. It occurred to me that if I was interested in learning more about a topic, I can easily research it online and have discussions with others, but I avoid news sites, online, on the radio, on television and in newspapers.
Benefits:
My mood is overall more positive, no more sense of depression or feelings of anxiety or fear and I tend to have a more positive view of others. I have more time to spend on music and engaging with other people in real life
Negatives:
I don’t know what’s going on in the world unless I hear it from others or see a headline here or there. I have no regrets about my decision so far. It’s been an interesting judgement, and I plan to carry on with it.
Thoughts? Am I just putting my head in the sand?

Not in the sand. Can't do much about it anyway.
Of the sources I watch, I only pay attention to the parts that can affect our lives. Right now, weather, stock market, social security and inflation are the big ones.

 

[horseless carriage]

No, you are not just putting your head in the sand. If you paid a lot of attention to the news, unless you have super powers you cannot fix what you think is wrong. Not much you can do to be effective. Not much you can do except be depressed, or fearful, or sad, or angry. Not many of us can do anything that makes a noticeable difference. That's why voting is so very important.

Meanwhile, the effectiveness with which you deal with your own life is important because you can make a noticeable difference.

Not in the sand. Can't do much about it anyway.
Of the sources I watch, I only pay attention to the parts that can affect our lives. Right now, weather, stock market, social security and inflation are the big ones.

Thanks to you both, I really appreciate your comments. I didn't need the news, chapter and verse, to know that there's conflict yet again in The Middle East. You might like my wife's comment about the escalation of the price of fuel at the pump. One day you are filling the tank for a reasonable price, the next it feels like you need a small loan just to drive around for a few miles.

 

[RambleTamble]

No, you are not just putting your head in the sand. If you paid a lot of attention to the news, unless you have super powers you cannot fix what you think is wrong. Not much you can do to be effective. Not much you can do except be depressed, or fearful, or sad, or angry. Not many of us can do anything that makes a noticeable difference. That's why voting is so very important.

A big part of the problem is that uninformed or misinformed people vote. They're the ones who are susceptible to propaganda. And with the use of AI, that problem is going to get even worse. Too many people don't have a secure grasp on reality. That's also why we can't have civil discourse any more; we wind up arguing about what constitutes reality rather than how to solve problems.

 

[Ruthanne]

On local TV

 

[Babs2u]

I like the Guardian and several independent news sources on line such as Daily Kos. I tried the opposing view until one news outlet said under oath that they are strictly entertainment and not obligated to tell the truth.

 

[MACKTEXAS]

A big part of the problem is that uninformed or misinformed people vote.

Yes, and that's what got us into this war.

 

[MoBeans]

My favorite source for daily news synopsis about whats happening in Washington and around the world is Heather Cox Richardson's Letters from an American. She is a well respected historian who has interviewed multiple presidents and provides a serious in depth analysis, there are no fluff pieces. I subscribed to her daily letter emailed to me to start my day. Sometimes I wish I hadn't read it first thing. She even lists all her references at the end of the letter so you can go check it yourself.

I stopped watching mainstream TV over a decade ago. That includes the evening news and 24 hour news sites. I was missing too much of what was really happening in the world. It's amazing how censored the news is now. Other than Heather I have various news sites on the internet that I trust not to over dramatize or under report or just lie about important news stories.

I especially like the ones that have comment sections where people can discuss the story and call BS if necessary like Reddit's /r/news or SlashDot tech news. The Ukraine has a couple online news sources for whats happening there that never makes the evening news. There are a couple Russian news sites that aren't run by their govt. Same with China. There are a few good US news sites left like Ground News. I also use fact checking sites like Snopes.com if a story seems suspect.

 

[Sunny]

I have a little TV facing my kitchen table, and usually turn on the news while I'm eating (only if I'm alone, of course). There are two news channels that I watch. I can't stand the commercials, so I flip back and forth, hoping they won't both be showing commercials at the same time.

My other news source is the online version of the NY Times. I usually scan through that once a day. I like the opinion columnists and Metropolitan Diary a lot, and usually read those, plus any news items that catch my eye.