Why Follow the News?

Why follow the news?

The obvious answer is to stay informed. But to what end?

Possible answers include:

-For voting, advocacy, and social involvement.

-To keep abreast of developments that impact one's life, like in the areas of health and finance.

-Simply out of human interest

I've followed US and world news closely for fifty years. I had to for my job (managing global supply chain functions). It's time consuming. Lately, I’ve wondered if spending so much time on the news makes sense.

It’s complicated to stay informed in an unbiased way. We've lost the handle on truth. The Walter Cronkites of yesteryear are gone. In their place are talking heads of every persuasion. Their mission, rather than to inform, is to capture our attention.

They're really good at it!

Most of us have favorite news sources. My high school buddy only watches FOX News. I wouldn’t know where to find it. That's not unusual. Most of us gravitate to sources that bolster our worldviews.

But, are we really being informed, or are we duped into believing we are being informed, and simply copping a rush from the latest sound bites that drive us crazy?

Is that too cynical?

Maybe, but I doubt it.

If you’re conservative, do you regularly follow The New York Times, The Atlantic, or the Ezra Klein show?

Conversely, if you’re liberal, do you keep up with The National Review, The Daily Wire, or The Ben Shapiro show?

If being informed was truly our objective, wouldn’t we explore both sides of the issues?

Several years ago, I decided to try that. I subscribed to respected sources from both sides and followed them closely.

Did I become a more informed citizen?

I don't think so. I did become a more agitated citizen. News reporting panders to extremes. No wonder our nation appears to be more divided than it probably is. News has entertainment value, but it leaves a mark.

Reality isn't a given. The saying, "It is what it is" would be more accurately phrased as, "It is as we are." Recently I gave up social media. It's entertaining, but it's junk food. One’s media diet isn't a lot different than a food diet. We are what we eat!

Which reminds me of a story:

The Parable of the Cup

A Buddhist monk asks his student a simple question: If you hold a cup of tea and someone bumps into you, causing it to spill, why did the tea spill?

The student replies, "The tea obviously spills because someone bumped into me."

The monk shakes his head, "No, you spilled the tea because that's what was in your cup!"

I've been thinking about what I'm putting into mine. What we read, informs our thoughts; our thoughts inform our perspectives, and our perspectives inform our experience. The news is often negative. Is that what I want to fill my cup with?

What if, rather than closely following the news, I simply read a brief summary and spent the balance of my time with inspirational material of lasting value?

I’m pretty sure such a change would enhance my life. “But," you might ask, "Wouldn’t this result in you being less informed?"

Probably, but I'm not sure it would have a material impact. The more important question is, what do I want to put in my cup?

I'm not sure of my answer, but I'm giving serious consideration to changing my news habits.

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