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The Urgent Quest for Slower, Better News

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Re: The Urgent Quest for Slower, Better News

#191

Post by old-gregg »

slg wrote: post #157
steelframe wrote: post #14

I stopped reading the news about a year ago. I felt like my emotions were being manipulated by a sharply-honed system built precisely to invoke outrage and draw you in to read more and more of it. I've been able to direct my focus and energy to much more productive tasks since I disconnected. Of course I entirely missed that whole Supreme Court thing until after it was over, and I have no idea what people around me a…

It needs to be pointed out that this is an option that originates from privilege. Ignoring the news means ignoring politics. Ignoring politics is tacit support of the status quo. The status quo does not put everyone on equal footing. Disadvantaged people would therefore suffer more from disengaging with the news than people of privilege.

I disagree. News != politics. In fact, if I replace the "status quo" in your statement with "reality", the meaning will change significantly. I don't need a journalist to tell me that the healthcare situation (to pick an example) is absurd, or that taxation (fed+state) in some states is already at European levels, yet without any healthcare or education benefits. It's easy to be aware of these facts, you just have to be alive.

But I also don't need journalists to be brain-washing people by suggesting different ways of sharing the costs (insurance? single payer? have rich people pay for me?). The real solution is, of course, to lower the cost to the levels comparable to EU countries, but the costs are rarely discussed in the mass media, only cost sharing is brought up. Why? Because it's an unpopular solution among people who set the agenda. Fixing health care (i.e. halving its cost _at the very least_) means dropping US GDP by a whopping 9% [1].

So it's not about slow vs fast news. It's about controlling the public discourse. The old system of setting the national agenda [2] is obviously not working well if a populist with a Twitter account can override the MSM narrative and get himself elected.

[1] https://www.cms.gov/research-statistics-data-and-systems/sta...

[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacturing_Consent

Re: The Urgent Quest for Slower, Better News

#192

Post by shay_ker »

slg wrote: post #157
steelframe wrote: post #14

I stopped reading the news about a year ago. I felt like my emotions were being manipulated by a sharply-honed system built precisely to invoke outrage and draw you in to read more and more of it. I've been able to direct my focus and energy to much more productive tasks since I disconnected. Of course I entirely missed that whole Supreme Court thing until after it was over, and I have no idea what people around me a…

It needs to be pointed out that this is an option that originates from privilege. Ignoring the news means ignoring politics. Ignoring politics is tacit support of the status quo. The status quo does not put everyone on equal footing. Disadvantaged people would therefore suffer more from disengaging with the news than people of privilege.

> It needs to be pointed out that this is an option that originates from privilege.

I don't know if this is what you intended, but I'm reading this as "many or most people who ignore the news are privileged". For instance, this would include many people who are at a 7th grade reading level.

I'm... not sure that's what you meant to insinuate though. Could you clarify?

Re: The Urgent Quest for Slower, Better News

#193

Post by bromuro »

slg wrote: post #157
steelframe wrote: post #14

I stopped reading the news about a year ago. I felt like my emotions were being manipulated by a sharply-honed system built precisely to invoke outrage and draw you in to read more and more of it. I've been able to direct my focus and energy to much more productive tasks since I disconnected. Of course I entirely missed that whole Supreme Court thing until after it was over, and I have no idea what people around me a…

It needs to be pointed out that this is an option that originates from privilege. Ignoring the news means ignoring politics. Ignoring politics is tacit support of the status quo. The status quo does not put everyone on equal footing. Disadvantaged people would therefore suffer more from disengaging with the news than people of privilege.

I disagree. Ignoring politics is the best way change it.

Re: The Urgent Quest for Slower, Better News

#194

Post by megaremote »

enumjorge wrote: post #131
GordonS wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did the same 1-2 years ago, and haven't regretted it. Interestingly, I've experienced the same thing where others seem offended by decision, and I also get accused of being insular and "living in my own little bubble". I just don't get this though - what exactly am I losing out on?

I do agree that paying too much attention to the crazy that’s going on is not constructive or healthy. But you can definitely overcorrect. If you completely disconnect you have no data with which to make your decisions come election time. A lot of what’s happening in politics does affect you directly. Changes to tax code, the budget, deregulation of industries (e.g. net neutrality). And some of it may not affect you…

> If you completely disconnect you have no data with which to make your decisions come election time.

Nothing has happened in the last 10 years to change who I vote for. And this is the same for the majority of people.

Re: The Urgent Quest for Slower, Better News

#195

Post by rayiner »

slg wrote: post #157
steelframe wrote: post #14

I stopped reading the news about a year ago. I felt like my emotions were being manipulated by a sharply-honed system built precisely to invoke outrage and draw you in to read more and more of it. I've been able to direct my focus and energy to much more productive tasks since I disconnected. Of course I entirely missed that whole Supreme Court thing until after it was over, and I have no idea what people around me a…

It needs to be pointed out that this is an option that originates from privilege. Ignoring the news means ignoring politics. Ignoring politics is tacit support of the status quo. The status quo does not put everyone on equal footing. Disadvantaged people would therefore suffer more from disengaging with the news than people of privilege.

Reading outrage bait then posting on Twitter about it doesn’t do anything to change the status quo.

Re: The Urgent Quest for Slower, Better News

#196

Post by yourbandsucks »

AWildC182 wrote: post #175
yourbandsucks wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Immediately take what action, specifically, in your ACA hypothetical? Honestly asking. Best I can come up with is "hope your kids don't get sick", followed by "ignore calls from debt collectors on that emergency room bill". Reading the news obsessively and buying into the culture war actually does nothing to make those strategies more effective. Just saps energy that could be spent elsewhere.

Fair question. It would depend on the individual, lots of people would also probably run to their doctors and get increased length/dosage prescriptions so they have some emergency supplies. Younger low income people might just cancel their insurance entirely, those with pre-existing conditions would have to consider employment changes potentially (contractor -> full time) and similarly for those on the marketplace. E…

Check out "hate, inc" by Taibbi. He's self publishing it online. It's been great "bullshit detector enhancement" for me, re: the media.

Re: The Urgent Quest for Slower, Better News

#197

Post by rayiner »

AWildC182 wrote: post #163
netfl0 wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is ignoring media tacit support of the status quo?

Because you don't have to worry about your kids being separated from you at the border, being bombed by the Saudis, or losing our homes to climate change related events. Most of the things the news covers disproportionately effect destitute-through-low-income individuals.

And yuppies reading the news and then going back to buying $12 avocado toast won’t do a damn thing to help those people.

Re: The Urgent Quest for Slower, Better News

#198

Post by kadendogthing »

misterprime wrote: post #154
kadendogthing wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>There is a lot of bad stuff going on all over all the time. Focus is what's important. I mean starting with people who are in close proximity to you seems like an important thing. Especially given the abundance of food and capital we have? And the fact that our government implicitly relies on voters making informed choices to elect representatives that can then practically the address issues you know/care about? >Sa…

>God, give me grace to accept with serenity, the things that cannot be changed, Courage to change the things which should be changed, and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. I think this is a case of these people realizing that they cannot change the world in such a way to solve each and every problem that is presented to them in the news. As such, they choose to focus on their own personal lives and th…

>God, give me grace to accept with serenity, the things that cannot be changed, Courage to change the things which should be changed, and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

I'm not sure what whimsical platitudes that essentially absolve you of your civic duty have to do with this conversation, or how it could possibly negate anything that was said.

>I hope this helps.

No it just solidifies what I think about the type of people that harbor such opinions.

Re: The Urgent Quest for Slower, Better News

#199

Post by topmonk »

slg wrote: post #157
steelframe wrote: post #14

I stopped reading the news about a year ago. I felt like my emotions were being manipulated by a sharply-honed system built precisely to invoke outrage and draw you in to read more and more of it. I've been able to direct my focus and energy to much more productive tasks since I disconnected. Of course I entirely missed that whole Supreme Court thing until after it was over, and I have no idea what people around me a…

It needs to be pointed out that this is an option that originates from privilege. Ignoring the news means ignoring politics. Ignoring politics is tacit support of the status quo. The status quo does not put everyone on equal footing. Disadvantaged people would therefore suffer more from disengaging with the news than people of privilege.

Not giving away all your possessions, walking away from your house and living as a homeless person also originates from privilege.

Did I win?

Re: The Urgent Quest for Slower, Better News

#200

Post by mike00632 »

fsloth wrote: post #100
irq wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honest question, how do you turn off your empathy for the suffering of your fellow countrymen? Which is what ignoring their plight would require (at least, it would for me).

Um, how does watching news help anyone’s plight, precisely?

You can't do anything if you're not even informed about it. There are numerous examples of the public giving enormous amounts of money and relief to victims of, for example, natural disasters.
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