Taking a break from the news

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kronos9
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Taking a break from the news

Post by kronos9 »

This is not, I repeat not, a political thread. Quite the opposite.

I'm detoxing from an overconsumption of news.

This is my second day going without reading the news of any kind, political blogs or websites. Whether it was on my phone first thing in the morning or on a computer during the day, I kept up with all the breaking news about elections, wars, natural disasters, murders, and everything else including the trevails of Hollywood stars and airbag recalls.

Enough. I figure if it's Earth-shatteringly important, that information will somehow find itself to me.

PS. I still check the weather.
Ed
CMur12
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Re: Taking a break from the news

Post by CMur12 »

I head you, Ed. I'm pretty burned out by the news - all the politics in particular, myself.

I periodically take a long break from the news after reaching a point of saturation.

- Murray
brothers
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Re: Taking a break from the news

Post by brothers »

Same here. I need a long break from all the drama.
Gary

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fallingwickets
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Re: Taking a break from the news

Post by fallingwickets »

I tip my hat....Im a news junkie....I could never give it up, however anything of import escapes my attention. News about tech, housewives of nj, geography, real-estate/design, business, dogs etc etc...LOVE it all :D

clive
de gustibus non est disputandum
ShadowsDad
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Re: Taking a break from the news

Post by ShadowsDad »

kronos, I've been doing that for years now... mostly, but I don't have a complete blackout. I came to the realization that the talking heads lie and discuss what they want in a way that most accurately reflects not the news but their positions as a form of propaganda. It happens with every subject where one has a position. So I decided to just not watch the talking heads and I haven't read a paper in much longer than that. Like you, if something is important I'll figure it out, or by someone calling me to inform me.

I do get hundreds of emails per day and I'm very selective about what I open, so I'm not totally in the dark regarding the big picture. All of my sources use direct quotes, video, things like that, and I won't allow any "trust us, this is what happened" sort of reporting. I also use multiple sources when I do decide to track a story and I play one against the other. I also pay no attention to adjectives that are used to sway people and build emotion. When I do watch the talking heads (very rarely) my wife gets ticked off at me because I'll point out what the news reader is doing.

I came to that position because of a local news story that my wife was involved in as a bystander. She told me what happened, and I know one of the principle actors in the story. By the time the story made the paper it had almost no resemblance to the reality of the situation. But reality didn't push the agenda so it wasn't used but replaced with what the reporter wanted to project. That's only the local level. It's much worse on the national level. I have a Canadian friend and she tells me "news" that has absolutely no relationship to reality about the USA. She comes to me when she wants to know what really happened. I wonder if she believes what I write because the reality as compared to what she heard on the "news" show are so different at times. But she keeps coming back.
Brian

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Rufus
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Re: Taking a break from the news

Post by Rufus »

I too am a news junkie. I watch news on TV every day, but not standard commercial network news preferring PBS, BBC, Al Jazeera and CBC. On the radio I listen to news on NPR, BBC and CBC. In print I read The Daily Telegraph, the Toronto Globe and Mail, The Economist and the Financial Times. I do find it necessary, however, to take regular breaks from my diet of news to regain my perspective and to decompress; my blood pressure thanks mr for this.
Bryan
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kronos9
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Re: Taking a break from the news

Post by kronos9 »

This is Day 4 and I still haven't visited any news sites or blogs. Got a quick notification from Reuters about the attorney general pick but other than that I remain blissfully unaware of events I have no control over. Yes, I was missing the weird little side articles but even those no longer seem worth the time to read.
Ed
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Ouchmychin
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Re: Taking a break from the news

Post by Ouchmychin »

I got fed up with constant rehashing the election by one of my friends. The only way to clean up my facebook was to unfriend her. (Several posts daily).
Ouchmychin (Pete)
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Straight Arrow
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Re: Taking a break from the news

Post by Straight Arrow »

Be careful with your news consumption. It can lead to all kinds of warped impressions of the state of this world. You only get what the media outlets want you to read so that they can influence your mind and your subsequent actions.
Rich
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Re: Taking a break from the news

Post by ShadowsDad »

Straight Arrow wrote:Be careful with your news consumption. It can lead to all kinds of warped impressions of the state of this world. You only get what the media outlets want you to read so that they can influence your mind and your subsequent actions.
Yup.
Brian

Maker of Kramperts Finest Bay Rum and Frostbite
Or find it here: Italian Barber, West Coast Shaving, Barclay Crocker, The Old Town Shaving Company at Stats, Maggard Razors; Leavitt & Peirce, Harvard Square
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JayTrek
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Re: Taking a break from the news

Post by JayTrek »

Straight Arrow wrote:Be careful with your news consumption. It can lead to all kinds of warped impressions of the state of this world. You only get what the media outlets want you to read so that they can influence your mind and your subsequent actions.
Well said, Sir. #Think4Yourself
Regards,
Jason

Upon Further Review...
brothers
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Re: Taking a break from the news

Post by brothers »

I get all of my information from actors and singers. :D
Gary

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JayTrek
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Re: Taking a break from the news

Post by JayTrek »

Mark Wahlberg basically said last night that actors and singers needed to keep their political opinions to themselves
Regards,
Jason

Upon Further Review...
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Squire
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Re: Taking a break from the news

Post by Squire »

Which reminds me of the Truman Capote quote, "The only identifiable skill an actor possesses is the ability to imitate someone else".
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Squire
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JayTrek
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Re: Taking a break from the news

Post by JayTrek »

Squire wrote:Which reminds me of the Truman Capote quote, "The only identifiable skill an actor possesses is the ability to imitate someone else".
Lots of truth in that. However, many seem to think they have much more importance and influence than they actually possess.
Regards,
Jason

Upon Further Review...
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maskaggs
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Re: Taking a break from the news

Post by maskaggs »

Lately I've been mulling over selecting just 1 source for my news, while being skeptical of everything I read. 1 source means it's hard to get inundated. So, for example, I have Google News on my phone, which I set up for topics of interest and certain alerts. Aside from that, I don't read anything else.
Regards,
Mike
owenm
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Re: Taking a break from the news

Post by owenm »

maskaggs wrote:Lately I've been mulling over selecting just 1 source for my news, while being skeptical of everything I read. 1 source means it's hard to get inundated. So, for example, I have Google News on my phone, which I set up for topics of interest and certain alerts. Aside from that, I don't read anything else.
When I just want the news, I tend to rely on the BBC (normally via their news app on my phone).
Cheers,
Owen
CMur12
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Re: Taking a break from the news

Post by CMur12 »

owenm wrote:
maskaggs wrote:Lately I've been mulling over selecting just 1 source for my news, while being skeptical of everything I read. 1 source means it's hard to get inundated. So, for example, I have Google News on my phone, which I set up for topics of interest and certain alerts. Aside from that, I don't read anything else.
When I just want the news, I tend to rely on the BBC (normally via their news app on my phone).
I, too, like to get much of my news from the BBC (online).

- Murray
brothers
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Re: Taking a break from the news

Post by brothers »

Ouchmychin wrote:I got fed up with constant rehashing the election by one of my friends. The only way to clean up my facebook was to unfriend her. (Several posts daily).
Pete, I did the same thing yesterday. some folks can't adapt to change as readily as others, which crates a bit of turmoil.
Gary

SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
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JayTrek
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Re: Taking a break from the news

Post by JayTrek »

brothers wrote:
Ouchmychin wrote:I got fed up with constant rehashing the election by one of my friends. The only way to clean up my facebook was to unfriend her. (Several posts daily).
Pete, I did the same thing yesterday. some folks can't adapt to change as readily as others, which crates a bit of turmoil.
Yeah...what he said.
Regards,
Jason

Upon Further Review...
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