No news is good news

I remember when I was young, I would hear people say “I can’t watch the news, it is so depressing.” It almost sounds strange to say or hear those words now. I mean how can we possibly stay away from the news?

For those of you who weren’t around back in the 70’s or early 80’s, there was a time when there were only about 7 channels to chose from on TV. They showed cartoons in the morning soap operas and game shows in the daytime and sitcoms or dramatic shows in the evening. The news was for the most part shown 2 times a day. At 7:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.. It was very easy to avoid watching the news, you simply didn’t turn on the TV to any news channels during those times.

Then came CNN. All news, all the time. It seems like it would have been a good idea. To keep people abreast of news and developments across the globe could only make us more informed and socially aware people, right?

Well, I have many thoughts on the subject. Where do I begin?

First of all, I am not so sure that we as humans are equipped to handle the BAD news that is fed to us on a daily basis. If you could transport yourself back to a time before there was no television or radio. The only way you heard about “news” was through word of mouth or perhaps a publication such as a newspaper. But if we go back even further when there weren’t any newspapers. The only way that you saw any disturbing images or experienced trauma or devastation, was seeing it or experiencing it first hand. I think God equipped us with certain mechanisms to protect us and to help process this stimuli in a way that is palatable to us and our own situations and environment. We are able to see a traumatic event and analyze it and relate it to the probability of it happening to us. So, in turn we can put it in perspective. When we see these images on “The news channels” (and I use that term loosely, more on that later) I believe that it has to have negative effects on our psyche. I believe that we as humans are put into a sort of fight or flight state. A state of panic or at the least on the edge of panic. We are sure that the big tornado or the devastating earthquake or the huge tsunami are just about to strike and rob us of our family, happiness or even worse our very life. How could we not think this, we see it constantly and it is happening all around us, to everyone around us. Or so we are lead to believe.

So, why are we shown bad news all of the time instead of good news? Well, I believe it is simple really. Human nature. We love dirt and dirt sells. Remember “All news all the time”. That is a lot of hours to fill and to keep a channel on the air costs a lot of money. How does a television station get money? They get it by “Sponsors”. “Sponsors” are companies that sell products. They buy time to air commercials that show their product to you in hopes that you buy them. Very simple. If you have a TV station, you can sell time on your broadcast. The price of that time is set based on the number of people who watch your show, or “ratings”. The higher your ratings the more money you can charge and the higher your profit. Again, very simple economics. I am not trying to demonize the media. When you look at this business model it is perfectly morale (in my opinion) when it is applied to a network that is airing sitcoms and game shows. But, remember I am talking about “news”. Well unfortunately these same rules, or this same business model, applies to our “News Channels”.

What you are watching is not “News”. It is entertainment. For the most part, there is no more journalism, only sensationalism. No more restraint, only “the end justifies the means”. No more class, only news about Britney Spears. Again, I am not actually blaming the media. They are a business and businesses have to make a profit. I am just sad that they do it at any cost, but I don’t expect the world or the people in it to change any time soon.

So what CAN you do about it? Simply turn it off! Don’t watch it. Seriously, do everything you can to avoid it. It will be hard. You will notice right away, It is EVERYWHERE! But you can ignore it. I started about a month ago and I have already noticed a huge change in my state of mind (hey, there has to be a reason so many people are on antidepressants). Trust me, you can survive without knowing the latest on so and so’s rehab stint or this and that’s custody battle. It is so refreshing. I have quite a disdain for pop culture in general. So, to not have to be constantly kept abreast of all the “celebrities” that we worship, hearing their names day in and day out. That, In and of itself has made a happier person.

Paul