I’m a Lot Happier When I Don’t Watch the News

I’m a lot happier when I don’t watch the news...

It used to be the first thing I looked for, when I turned on the television every morning,

and the last thing I watched before I went to bed.

...

I wanted to know what was going on in the world.

I wondered what was happening—not just in my own nation,

but in every country around the globe.

...

But lately, neutral news has been hard to find…

Every channel tells the opinions of this person or that person;

what they say and how they say it, depends upon their personal views.

...

I can watch all day and still not hear about everything taking place—that's freely reported in some other nations.

When visiting Australia, I called my son to discuss accounts about what was being broadcast that our President (at the time) had said during his visit, about a planned base to counteract China... But, none of it had even been reported back home! Many citizens didn't even know he was there! With a different, more recent President, network owners refused to let their reporters even cover several events and conferences... Why? Because they didn't WANT to give air time to a President they didn't support.

This is a dangerous new precedent, in my opinion. Sure, there are countries where "news" is filtered to prevent anything getting out that the government doesn't desire. But, I never thought I'd see the freedom of the Press that we enjoy in the USA manipulated in such a way where the Press that the public relies on for factual information, is the one to actually filter news! The Press itself, for heaven's sake! I don't know whether to feel sad, irritated—or scared.

...

It frustrates me that I can’t find out the FULL truth of what’s happening...

For if it puts the position the reporter supports in a bad light,

we can forget about hearing all the facts reported on their news show.

...

As for learning what’s going on elsewhere around the world, reports are very few and far between.

What passes for the news is 95% politics anymore, here in the USA—anything to promote the reporter’s political party. There are times when they might mention an important occurance very briefly, but then it's right back to opinions being offered to support their political party. Other times, they don't bother to mention world news at all.

I guess it's okay if some stations want to focus on primarily national news—if they would actually cover what's going on in states that make up our nation, instead of making you feel like you just attended a meeting for a political party.

...

How I long for the days of Walter Cronkite!

We didn’t even know his political leanings, until after he was no longer on the job.

This is as it should be, don't you agree?

...

Oh, for the days when we heard just the facts to reach our own clear-eyed conclusions!

We could go to bed in peace after the 10:00 p.m. news;

for the news didn't try to influence us all night long, hoping to align the audience to the reporter's views.

...

Should it even be called “news” anymore?

In reality, it is simply one political opinion show after another;

which causes me irritation, rather than expanding my information.

...

Should they even be called “journalists” anymore?

In reality, they don’t ask the tough questions of a candidate they like;

but they are relentless if it’s someone they don’t like.

...

Should reporters even be allowed to let us know their opinions?

I have lost all respect for the network owners, more than the journalists, for changing the format away from the caution to report in a neutral way, like I grew up with. It's sad to me that young adults today have never experienced the privilege of reaching their own conclusions after hearing all the facts... Instead, they are influenced by today's style of reporting, leading them to how the network wants them to view it.

I blame the media for firing up all the division in our nation. Sure, someone else may have lit the fires, but network owners seem to be encouraging their reporters to fan the flames in the direction they want them to burn—over and over!

...

I don’t mind having political opinion shows offered…

Not at all... There is a place for political opinion shows, certainly. But my lament is, did they have to get rid of all the neutral news broadcasts? I can't find any news station where I can hear just the facts, ALL the facts—and only the facts. That is worrisome, and not the way it should be in a free society.

One reporter from a major network did come forward a few years ago to complain owners ORDERED them to skew reports a certain way, to benefit the owner's political preferences. He was blackballed for his honesty, and the story quickly squelched. If only more reporters were brave enough to take a stand... I empathize that they need to make a living, but how can they sleep at night without integrity? No job is worth giving that up.

...

In airports, people used to enjoy watching the news while waiting for our planes.

Every half hour, just the facts would replay,

adding new happenings as they occurred.

...

But now, I notice more and more televisions in airports are kept turned off.

Travelers don’t need the anxiety of political opinions dividing us;

people prefer silence—there is enough stress from flying without adding commentary!

...

For my emotional well-being, I had to quit watching so much…

I find I’m a lot happier since making that change;

but at the same time, it makes me sad.

...

Now, I search the internet to find the facts of what’s going on in the world.

But alarmingly, it’s becoming overtaken by opinion-based articles, too, which conveniently leave out some of the facts they don't want their readers to know, because it would put their political party in a bad light. That's shameful, in my opinion! No political party gets it right all the time and no political party gets it wrong all the time. Let the public sort it out, instead of trying to steer us in a certain direction, please!

This is making it increasingly difficult to find actual old-style "just the facts, ALL the facts—and only the facts" news reporting.

...

So, like many others, I’ve had no choice but to limit how often I seek out today's style of what passes for “news”.

For the sake of my emotional and mental well-being, this is necessary;

until the day when the “news” becomes neutral, once again…

HOPEFULLY.