The bloody news

[Serial_Apologist]

I'm sure it's true that the news can be bad for general well-being. But not being politically aware can be much worse in the long run, allowing corrupt politicians to do exactly as they please.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

not so sure S_A, when did our awareness that they were two timing gangsters ever stop them misbehaving?

[EdgeleyRob]

I'm sure it's true that the news can be bad for general well-being. But not being politically aware can be much worse in the long run, allowing corrupt politicians to do exactly as they please.

These last few posts have struck a chord with me.
I don't read newspapers or watch news on TV and haven't done so for a long time.

I suffered from depression for many years.
1997 was a particularly bad year for me,my father having died in the January.
Up to that time I was avid reader of the press,watcher of news and very interested in politics.
I was seriously ill with a bad bout of depression,didn't work for around 6 months,had some really dark thoughts and consequently had sessions with a psychiatrist.
One day we had a conversation about news stories of the time.
I told him that I was getting anxious about a certain story (can't even remember what it was now).
He said he knew nothing about it.
I told him it had been all over the papers and TV.
He said he never watched TV or read newspapers.
When I asked him how he knew what was going on in the world,he replied that he didn't.
Apparently he also had no interest in politics,never voted etc,etc.
So from that moment on my life changed.

I very rarely get depressed nowadays due to being quite insular and taking regular doses of Vaughan Williams.
Obviously it's impossible to avoid news especially on the radio but I just treat them as background noise,in one ear,out the other.
If not being inclined to join in political debate or discussions on the issues of the day are the price of my sanity(and that of those close to me)this is a price I'm very happy to pay.

The only thing that gets on my nerves these days is the state of my beloved Radio 3.

[french frank]

We've been changed into a race of news junkies who do think 'The News' matters - in the sense that we MUST know what is in The News, what are the current News Stories. We must all be told everything so that those who need to know something will know it.

We need individual protective filters to keep out what we don't want to know and don't need to know.

The only thing that gets on my nerves these days is the state of my beloved Radio 3.

[Petrushka]

I stopped reading newspapers about 5 years ago more in exasperation at the shoddy state of journalism than any great desire to avoid the news.

Nowadays I tend to take the same approach as Teamsaint in message 14. Occasional viewings of BBC Breakfast and Channel 4 News would appear to show an unhealthy obsession with child sex abuse, bogus 'terrorism' and the USA.

The danger is in being overwhelmed with news on matters that we are helpless to alter so the only option is to switch off from it and deal with our own issues. 24 hour news channels have much to answer for.