‘NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS’ said 19th Century French author Ludovic Halévy. He was wrong. News, by definition, is either good or bad (elsewise it would not be ‘news’). Over the past few years, I became a bit of a news junkie and it was more often than not bad. So, last week, I announced I’m taking a respite from the news. I’m burned out on the aggravation, the fear, the frustration, the doubt about what the world is becoming. Ergo, I’m now on sabbatical from the news. It has been a week. It is driving me crazy. I know that ‘no news’ is just ‘no news’; it is usually not ‘good news.’ Stuff is taking place whether I know about it or not. I feel out of touch and, to reference another trite phrase, ignorance is definitely not bliss. How long I can hold out remains to be seen. Yet, I’m getting more reading done, since I’m not wasting time perusing news sites and watching cable news, so that’s good. But I can’t help wondering what politician made a fool of himself, or his constituents, today. What are the latest statistics about Covid deaths, gun deaths, and half-assed court decisions. How much farther have we progressed in our continual march toward Armageddon. I remind myself of the words of Mad Magazine’s Alfred E. Newman: ‘What, me worry?’
Hello HenryM.
Congratulations on becoming more selective in the things that you watch, listen to and read with regards to so-called ‘news’.
Many, many years ago I was stripping out a very old cottage readying it for renovation and, underneath the top layer of wallpaper were several layers of old newspapers (which they apparently used to use for insulation and a basecoat for the fancy top layer). I found the news stories in these old newspapers fascinating in the sense that, with a change of names, the stories in the old papers were almost precisely the same ones that were in the newspapers of the day.
This got me thinking that there was really no good reason for following the news, because mostly it had all happened before at some time or other. Also, I have noticed that the portrayers of what they think is ‘news’ seem to believe that bad stories are ‘news’ and good stories are not worth printing. This is probably down to consumer demand as I have also noticed that there are far more TV and films portraying murder and mayhem than there are those portraying ordinary acts of kindness. (which presumably is deemed as boring and unsellable).
Over here in the UK, there is a growing tendency to extend ‘news’ bulletins with contributions from the general public (as if somehow these ordinary people have something interesting to add to the news of the day). What tends to happen, is that this strategy gives voice to those who simply parrot what their favourite politicians are spouting and often reflect a bigoted biased point of view which barely has any relevance to the overall picture.
I have never bought a newspaper and I restrict my viewing and listening to the headlines, most of which I take with a pinch of salt. My ‘news’ comes mainly through monthly magazines where the authors have had time and resources to think things through, resulting in a reasoned and logical account of whatever the story might be.
My favourite magazines are New Internationalist, New Scientist, Private Eye, MAD,.RSPB mag,and ‘Compost Heap’ I am regularly sent the monthly rag from the British Psychological Society called appropriately, ‘The Psychologist’, which often has some interesting perspectives on some of the stories circulating in the national press.
Thanks for the opportunity to have my morning rant, which sets me up for the day.
Best wishes
Bill
Where I am the news is unceasingly bad. We have an ex-prime minister and ex-cricketer who was married to the beautiful heiress Jemima Goldsmith, he now has a wife who wears a full-length burqa, and that calls into question his mental abilities. Lives in a million-dollar house but pretends to be a champion of the poor. Long, hard struggle lies ahead. Do people still read newspapers for the news? Does 'no news is good news' apply to news from home?
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'No news is good news' is never applicable. You might as well say 'Hold your breath and just keep holding it; everything'll be alright.'
Hi all the local tv news station just announced an early weekend broadcast of news for the 5 oclock hour, they,ve got a bunch new reporters that cant hardly read a sentence.
Congrats on your news detox, but it sounds like you are still Jonesin'! I can only think of one example where 'no news is good news' applies. When your doctor has run some tests, and you don't get a call saying he/she wants to see you. Of course that could backfire, if the lab, Xray, or whatever, has simply failed to forward your test results to the doc's office. You could be living in ignorant bliss, assuming that all is well. So, I guess that example doesn't even apply!
Terry
