I’ve been a news junkie long before it was as easy as a Google search or a scroll through my social media feed to stay on top of things. I like information. I like being informed. And yet… I have not turned on a cable news channel since the Wednesday after Election Day. I have not watched the evening news. I have not watched the local news – which got me into a bit of trouble this past Tuesday when I walked outside underdressed for the bitterly cold weather that hit New York. I had relied on what the temperature said without knowing what that temperature actually felt like.
Apparently, I am not alone in not being interested in hearing the Monday Morning Quarterbacking on what the news pundits think went wrong with the Harris campaign nor am I interested in the hysteria and rage-inducing chyrons as Trump announces his clown car of unqualified appointees to his Cabinet.
MSNBC’s viewership is reported to be down 53 percent from October and CNN down 22 percent. Broadcast evening news programs such as ABC’s World News Tonight are down 11%. And yet without watching any of that when I took this week’s NY Times News Quiz, I got 100% – my highest score ever!
So how did I do that?
It wasn’t that hard.
Email newsletters give you the highlights (and sometimes insight) without having to listen to Trump’s voice or get dragged into the sewer of despair
I skimmed the headlines of my favorite newsletters including Axios which I will note could have done better with some of their inane headlines that included words like “shocker” when Trump nominated RFKJr to run all the health agencies. That’s what he said he would do so it should come as no shock to anyone. But that word will get them clicks. And that is what the news business is about.
Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters From An American is another good summary of the day along with a history lesson. Even my industry trades like Social Media Today gave little snippets of what this all means for the platforms. And last but not least, The New York Times in which every headline seems to be preceded by “Breaking News” even when it’s not.
The right Podcasts do the job real journalism used to
Cable and network news has been reduced to snippets, a sound bite made for social media over long-form programming of any depth. But podcasts – if you choose carefully offer not just information but perspective. On with Kara Swisher gathered a panel to discuss what to expect. Jon Stewart sat down with Sarah Smarsh on The Weekly Show. Prof G Markets guest Josh Brown’s insights on how all this will affect the markets were informative without the drama. All offered me thought-provoking conversations.
A ten-minute scroll through social media
Social Media can be as much of a drain as cable news, but the plus is you don’t have to listen and take the chance you may have to hear the voice of the President-Elect. You can skim through and see what is of interest and value like this Op-Ed written by a 16-year-old girl as she reflects on the Election that my friend Gloria Feldt shared on Threads. Follow the right people and you will stay informed. Follow the wrong ones and you get disinformation. (Note: you can follow me on Threads and as of today Blue Sky)
Late Night Comedy – the absurdity of the headlines minus the angst
It’s rare I can stay up late enough to watch any of the shows live but that is why God invented the DVR and Youtube. Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue will tell you all need to know that happened that day through the lens of laughter as they point out the absurdity of nominating an accused sex offender as Attorney General.
Laughter can be the best medicine – scientifically speaking. It breaks up the negative energy and allows you to take a step forward.
The goal has been self-care
Removing myself from the 24-hour rage machine has been in the name of my own health and well-being. Nothing will change by listening to the hysteria and the rage. All that does is drain my energy and quite frankly the President-Elect has drained all of our energies since the day he rode down that gold-painted escalator nine years ago. That is what he and his team want us to do. Exhaust us all to the point we just succumb to his will and let him do whatever he wants as he sets about to destroy the country I love.
I am of no use to anyone when my energy is drained. None of us are. We can all stay informed without getting into the maelstrom of woe is me, woe is the country energy. By managing our intake we will have the energy to do the work we have to do and need to do to move forward.
For me, for now that means more conversation, more listening and more writing. If a post like this can help one person, I have done something much more impactful than listening to a bunch of talking heads outline worst-case scenarios.
This was originally published on Does This Make Sense ? on Substack. Subscribe for free here.
Leave a Reply