Who stays current on the news?

**disneysteve** · 08-22-2015, 08:57 AM

Originally posted by WEL View Post

Do you pay attention to the news?

Nope. I haven't for years. I used to watch Good Morning America as I was getting ready in the morning but I go in earlier than I used to. I'll occasionally put on the news station on the radio in the car but 99% of the time I'm playing podcasts.

On the rare occasion that I do watch the news, I quickly flip channels because they are almost never talking about anything that I actually care about. Shootings, fires, robberies, politics, sports, "pop culture", entertainment news, etc. I really have no interest in any of it.

The minor downside of this is that I've often got nothing to say when conversations are happening around me. I don't know about the "big" stories. But I'm okay with that.

**HappySaver** · 08-22-2015, 12:44 PM

I never watch the news. I try not to surf the news online too much. I read one trusted newspaper through my Kindle and have a few online sites I sometimes look at. I actually get much of my news from online social media outlets and find that I'm more informed than most. The Daily Show/Colbert Report was also a good way to stay current, not sure how that will continue without Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert.

Watching the news/general web news surfing is a time suck, not particularly informative, and has been proven to be bad for your health. There are much better ways to stay informed.

**FLA** · 08-22-2015, 09:10 PM

I kept up pretty well, reading papers and articles online. I'm always obsessed about Presidential races. But then getting sick, I just stopped. I care when someone points something out to me. I lost the interest, this is not the right word, nor is ability, I can't explain it, right after the kid shot up the black church with the Pastor/Senator. Intermittent, very intermittent since then. I miss not knowing basic things going on in the world

I have piles and piles of magazines that have a political bent to them, like the Atlantic, haven't read a one since last June. I can't get rid of them because it's this horrible sign that for over a year, I was ignorant. I honestly thought I could read at least the big stories, but they are stacked way higher than the laundry basket they are in. I think they need to be recycled and I try to keep up from this point on. Thank God I get mags dirt cheap because not reading even one bugs me, not reading a mountain, scares me.

news stresses me out but when it's just the facts ma'am NPR and BBC news, I know what is going on even though I may not want to know about genocide somewhere but it's not sensationalized. It's reported and then some shows rationally discuss it. I feel like if genocide is going on anywhere and I can't even be bothered to ever hear about it, what does that say about me? I live in my stress-free bubble while horrendous things are occurring. It makes me stressed to NOT know that information.
Things like human suffering, even if I can do nothing to change it, needs to be acknowledged. Your country is experiencing mass genocide and it "stresses" us out too much to even know about it. I get wanting to be in the bubble, I'm unfortunately stuck in one, but I am fearful of a being a country that can't give up 10 mins of Zen (or for the average American, 10 mins of Kardashians) to catch the world headlines. Skip the non-sense news, mute that, but major news here and around the world, I believe we need to hear, like taking our medicine.

**JulieAlbright** · 08-23-2015, 07:09 AM

I glance through the headlines about once a day.
I pretty much refuse to watch CNN or Fox or anything like that on TV, although my husband would watch for hours if he was home and I didn't turn it off. I find the 24 hour news stations to be overblown and sensationalistic.

What FLA said about news stressing people out is very much how I feel. I watch those programs and I just start to feel massive anxiety and worry and I start wanting to build a bunker in our back yard and build up 10 year supply of dried food. So I deliberately limit my exposure and I prefer to read rather than view one of the television programs.

I find it difficult to even get unbiased newspaper news these days though.

**disneysteve** · 08-23-2015, 08:20 AM

My main problem with watching the news is that news shows have become cheap entertainment shows. Years ago, the news was 30 minutes and you learned everything you needed to know. Now, I think the morning news starts at 5:30am and is on until 9:00am when the morning shows come on, which also cover the news. There used to be the 12:00 news for 30 minutes. Now it's an hour. Then there was the 6:00pm news which now starts at 4:00. And the 11:00pm news now starts at 10:00pm. And that's not even considering the 24-hour news networks.

I'm fine with just hearing the headline: what happened. What I can't stand is that they then proceed to talk about what happened for another 10 minutes. They bring in analysts and "experts" to delve into every minute detail of the story. They interview everybody they possibly can, regardless of how much or how little that person actually knows about the incident. Then days later, they are still talking about the same story as "new details" emerge. Stories that are really of no significance except to the people directly involved suddenly become national news stories. Folks buy magazines and watch trials of total strangers. I will never comprehend the appeal of it all.

**bennkar** · 08-23-2015, 09:00 AM

I stopped with watching news (and TV in general) maybe a decade ago. I get the paper on Sunday, and sometimes see the news at lunch when I workout at the company gym. And then I go to Bing search daily and see what is trending in news as well. So I guess I still get some news, but when I want in doses I want. Can't say I miss morning news or evening news.

**FLA** · 08-23-2015, 09:21 AM

I find it almost impossible to watch local or network news, so I don't. The only council of moderators I can stand are on Bill Maher's show, lol. But they do address some issues with more knowledge than some "special guests" I've seen on other shows. What does that say about the state of network news? Young people surveyed and admit they get their news from Jon Stewart, whom I love but don't make time for and will miss dearly.

I've had a ton of appts and cannot drive. My dad listens to all those screaming am radio talk shows, most right wing, everyone talking over each other, ugh, cannot stand. That guy Michael Savage- I need meds to listen to that jack ass.

I got him to start using my car and it has sat radio. He likes the 60s and 70s channels and we sing unbelievably bad together. Beats am radio hands down

**ESMonitor** · 08-23-2015, 09:30 AM

I watch the Weather Channel in the mornings while getting ready for work. I'm a fan of Jim Cantore. Other than him, they've gone runnin' to pc and all that with the other networks. "Jimmy Carter's cancer has spread to his brain...our 'hopes' are with him." DO WHAT? WHAT IS THAT?? Personally, I find it highly offensive that The Weather Channel staff feels like they can no longer say the word "prayers", that it has to be censored. No. If they really feel that way they should just go ahead and relocate their studio to North Korea.

I will monitor foxnews and cnn online side by side at work here and there just to see the comparisons of news stories for conservatives and liberals.

I agree it's a lot more decompressing to watch a Braves baseball game than to hear about all the nonsense going on in Ferguson, MO, Washington DC, etc.

**disneysteve** · 08-23-2015, 09:40 AM

Originally posted by ESMonitor View Post

I watch the Weather Channel

Oh man, the weather report is one thing that drives me the most crazy about watching the news. As far as I'm concerned, the weather report should take under a minute. Nope. Turn on the local news and a good 10 minutes out of a 30 minute broadcast are devoted to the news. The give current conditions, repeatedly mentioning their fancy double scan radar system and how powerful it is and how it's the best one in the region. They show the radar image, then the 3D radar image, then the animated radar image from the past few hours, then the projected radar image for the next few hours, then the various models and what each are predicting since they're all a little different. During the summer, there is an extra extended segment with the shore forecast including the sunburn index, the ocean temperature, the wave conditions, etc.

And heaven help us if there is any serious weather system approaching. Then you can pretty much guarantee that the entire 30 minute broadcast will be focused on preparation and predictions, showing all of the idiots swarming Home Depot who apparently don't own a shovel despite living in the northeast where it snows multiple times every season. I have no idea what they all shoveled with last year or the year before. Our shovels are probably all 30+ years old. They were hand-me-downs from family when we bought our house 21 years ago. It isn't something that you need to replace each year. And apparently there are many people out there who only shop for groceries before major storms are predicted. They behave as if they expect to be stranded at home for a week or more. Very rarely is there a storm powerful enough to keep us off the roads for more than 24 hours or so. If we run out of milk, we'll survive just fine. We're not fighting insane crowds to get a fresh gallon the day before a storm.

**FLA** · 08-23-2015, 09:54 AM

[QUOTE=ESMonitor;414222] "Jimmy Carter's cancer has spread to his brain...our 'hopes' are with him." DO WHAT? WHAT IS THAT?? Personally, I find it highly offensive that The Weather Channel staff feels like they can no longer say the word "prayers", that it has to be censored. No. If they really feel that way they should just go ahead and relocate their studio to North Korea.

Maybe they are being neutral to include the growing number of atheists here. I'm Catholic, it doesn't bother me if they don't say "prayers". "hopes" is fine and inclusive. I really don't want to get a whiff of newscasters faith, just tell me the weather and wish Jimmy well.

**HappySaver** · 08-23-2015, 11:22 AM

FLA, I think your opinions stated here are far too political for this space. Completely off topic. I find it offensive to compare a newscaster to North Korea and disrespectful to the extreme suffering that is happening there just because the verbiage is not to your liking.

**FLA** · 08-23-2015, 12:48 PM

Originally posted by HappySaver View Post

FLA, I think your opinions stated here are far too political for this space. Completely off topic. I find it offensive to compare a newscaster to North Korea and disrespectful to the extreme suffering that is happening there just because the verbiage is not to your liking.

I am NOT the one who said that, I was quoting someone who did, it posted making it look like I said that but if you scroll up, it was not me. I made the comment about being fine with the word hope.

**FLA** · 08-23-2015, 12:55 PM

Originally posted by ESMonitor View Post

"Jimmy Carter's cancer has spread to his brain...our 'hopes' are with him." DO WHAT? WHAT IS THAT?? Personally, I find it highly offensive that The Weather Channel staff feels like they can no longer say the word "prayers", that it has to be censored. No. If they really feel that way they should just go ahead and relocate their studio to North Korea.

I will monitor foxnews and cnn online side by side at work here and there just to see the comparisons of news stories for conservatives and liberals.

I agree it's a lot more decompressing to watch a Braves baseball game than to hear about all the nonsense going on in Ferguson, MO, Washington DC, etc.

this was the post I was quoting, I also do not think Ferguson is "nonsense"

my post followed about being fine with the word "prayers" not being used, rather "hopes". That is my belief whether it be too political or not. And if it is, fine. But I screwed up the posting and made someone else's post appear to be mine. In a million years, I would not have made that comment about North Korea. I hope that clears this up.

I do have strong political beliefs, but very much in the opposite of ESmonitor. If you are concerned about the North Korea comment please re-direct towards him.

**WEL** · 08-23-2015, 01:22 PM

It doesn't surprise me that the fine people of these forums have little stomach for the news.

Who stays current on the news?