Why the News Sucks

The news is big business. The numerous 24/7 news networks bank on that. Literally. And don't blame old folks. There are plenty of twenty-somethings getting high late at night, flipping on Veronica De La Cruz. Let's face it, our society has a pervasive addiction to news. We all want to be informed. But at what cost?

First off, chew on this. The news isn't. What networks show is what they feel garners the largest ratings. Certainly if a war is declared, an airliner crashes, or a hurricane hits we can all agree that it is newsworthy. But so many of the other events reported have little intrinsic news value, but score well on the sensationalism meter. Confront a newsie with that theory and they simply reply, "We show what people want to see."  Perhaps.

Here's the second point that I'd like you to digest. The news doesn't portray reality. Reality isn't men kidnapping babies, terrorists slaughtering innocents, and politicians ranting. Of course those things happen, but so do random acts of kindness, religious cooperation, and great feats of triumph.

The argument over news and sensationalism is one that will never be resolved. At least not at NBC or CNN. It can, however, be resolved at your own house, in your own life. Turn off the news. It's depressing, demotivating, and beyond your control. Yes, I know. We all have the belief that we must be informed. But why? There is nothing, for example, happening in Washington, DC that will alter our life as much as our own actions. Forget the news, forget informed. Focus on ourselves, our actions, not the actions of others that we can't control.