How are you filtering the noise (aka news)?

[garyclark]

As we live through unprecedented times, people are approaching things differently. There's a range of folks, from those who are devouring every piece of information to people who who shutting everything out.

Since the election, I have been closer to the latter, which is why I haven't been clicking and commenting on Da Meltdown thread. I actually think one of the things that subconsciously drew me back into The Swamp was the ability to engage in what I want to, not what the algorithms want me to.

That being said, I do want to keep up with what is happening. For those of you who are closer to me on the spectrum, I'm wondering what news sources or strategies you're using to keep up without overwhelming yourself.

FWIW, I believe there are a lot of folks in my shoes. And I think there's actually money to be made in a bland objective non-sensationalized summary of what is happening in the world, with links to click if you want to dig in deeper.

[EnochRoot]

PBS NewsHour and BBC News. I don’t watch a second of anything else.

Online? My reddit feeds are pretty solid.

[P.D.X.]

Reuters and AP are pretty straight-forward for news.

[Giff]

PBS NewsHour and BBC News. I don’t watch a second of anything else.

I need to remember to watch these more. I watched a couple days in a row earlier this month and thought they were great. I just wish they aired a morning version. Not sure if there is one, but there's not one on our PBS station (which is where they show BBC America news).

[EnochRoot]

PBS NewsHour and BBC News. I don’t watch a second of anything else.

I need to remember to watch these more. I watched a couple days in a row earlier this month and thought they were great. I just wish they aired a morning version. Not sure if there is one, but there's not one on our PBS station (which is where they show BBC America news).

No just 6p (BBCA News is 5:30p before that). But they post the PBS NewsHour to YT, so if you miss the night before you can watch it there in the AM.

[The Sybian]

FWIW, I believe there are a lot of folks in my shoes. And I think there's actually money to be made in a bland objective non-sensationalized summary of what is happening in the world, with links to click if you want to dig in deeper.

For the past couple of years, my parents keep sending me links to articles from something called the Good News Network. You need to download their app to open the links from a phone, so I very rarely see what they are sending me, unless I happen to be checking my email from my computer. I don't know if the site/app is any good, but it's politics free news, and feel good or weird stories, I think.

As for your bigger question, not idea how I'm going to handle this. I've severely cut back my news/punditry consumption from 15-20 years ago, I used to be obsessed, even listened to talk radio politics in the car. In the past 3 or 4 years, I stopped going to the clip aggregating sites like Rawstory and Mediaite and several others. Been much happier not knowing the crap FoxNews and the like spew. Finally realized, I don't need to know their gameplan and fake outrage to be informed. It feels wrong walking away from staying informed, but fuck, I'm not accomplishing anything by being informed either. I know I can't completely wall myself off, but I'm learning not to get worked up, especially by idiots and bots on social media.

[Giff]

PBS NewsHour and BBC News. I don’t watch a second of anything else.

I need to remember to watch these more. I watched a couple days in a row earlier this month and thought they were great. I just wish they aired a morning version. Not sure if there is one, but there's not one on our PBS station (which is where they show BBC America news).

No just 6p (BBCA News is 5:30p before that). But they post the PBS NewsHour to YT, so if you miss the night before you can watch it there in the AM.

I think I’ll start DVRing them to throw on in the morning.

[DaveInSeattle]

I haven't even looked at the news, in any form, since the election. I just can't do it to myself. I've always been very informed and up on things, but all its gotten me was low level dread, anxiety, and some sleepless nights. Trump and his MAGA goons are what the country voted for, and its what we are going to get. But I'm going to try to not let them get to me anymore.

I'm sure at some point I'll start reading the news again (most likely the Guardian)...but until then I'm sticking to sports!

[GoodKarma]

I don't "watch" much in terms of news broadcasts but when I do it's a local (Denver)...I'm not sure what to call it..."alternative" news cast...alternative in the sense that it's not a typical if-it-bleeds-it-leads program...it's a more issues-based and more local interest longer-form stories. For national news I listen to NPR and watch the A block of CBS Mornings if I'm home and don't have any meetings. I do occasionally watch PBS News Hour or BBC and have turned on Fox for reasons I will outline below.

For deeper dives into things I might see something on a social feed but then I'll do some searching the interwebs but staying away from sources I know that are heavily biased or down right liars (like the NY Post). One thing that I'm guessing might be different about me is that do what I can to make sure my feeds don't just show me left-wing stuff while still maintaining my sanity. I intentionally follow right-wing profiles in an attempt to keep my feed somewhat balanced and so I know how or what "the other side" is thinking or what "they" are up to.

[rass]

I’ve stayed off FB since the election but did pop on yesterday and blocked and friends I saw celebrating. That felt good.

News is mostly here or bluesky?

[garyclark]

Appreciate the replies.

Guardian and PBS seem solid.

[DSafetyGuy]

I follow a bunch of independent outlets/reporters on Bluesky, including some from cities I don't live in (NYC, Chicago, Minneapolis, Columbus OH).

[tennbengal]

If I need to know something, Guardian.

Philly Inquirer still retains its voice.

[TankFarm2023]

I'm avoiding most of it for the time being- the exception being I read the pride of Maine every morning (HCR). Or most mornings. Or some.


Reading about anything *It* says or does is akin to feeling as if my dog just got hit by a bus.

[Baloney]

Not watched a news show since before the election. i check out the BBC News after I've looked at their sports page.

Maybe will look at PBS as mentioned above.

Or will become a hermit

[DSafetyGuy]

I follow a bunch of independent outlets/reporters on Bluesky, including some from cities I don't live in (NYC, Chicago, Minneapolis, Columbus OH).

I re-skeeted a starter pack of various independent media this morning and figured I would mention it in case anyone checking out this thread is interested.

[Nonlinear FC]

Yeah, this election broke me. I still watch the nightly news but simply can't stand any story focusing on "that guy." I mean, I barely have the energy to type this post.

But I'm starting to pay attention now that he's actually in office and is starting to enact his nonsense.

And it was pretty hard to ignore the Nazi stuff. Like... wtf.

I like the idea of sticking with PBS, BBC and The Guardian.

[DaveInSeattle]

I forgot to add the one bit of "news" I'm still reading is a daily newsletter from Jeff Tiedrich, who I used to follow back on Twitter. Its basically "can you believe this fucking dipshit and his asshole supporters?", rather than regular news sources trying to "sanewash" Trump and his band of MAGA Goons.

Subscription is here (its free)...https://www.jefftiedrich.com/?utm_sourc ... dium=email

[sancarlos]

I’ve been reading occasional Guardian articles, but at you guys’ prompting, I downloaded their app. It’s really good. BBC app, too.

[garyclark]

A video of John Hodgman and Jesse Thorn flashed across my timeline today where they talked about this, and Hodgman said that the thing he realized was that him getting angry and worked up at things, for some reason, didn't change them at all. So he is very much limiting what he reads/watches.

[tennbengal]

A video of John Hodgman and Jesse Thorn flashed across my timeline today where they talked about this, and Hodgman said that the thing he realized was that him getting angry and worked up at things, for some reason, didn't change them at all. So he is very much limiting what he reads/watches.

Yeah. Took me way too long to realize the same and try and opt out as much as possible. I know I can't stop the outrage machine, but I can choose not participate as much as possible.

[A_B]

Shoot that's something i'm trying to do with not just news these days.

SERENITY NOW!

[garyclark]

A video of John Hodgman and Jesse Thorn flashed across my timeline today where they talked about this, and Hodgman said that the thing he realized was that him getting angry and worked up at things, for some reason, didn't change them at all. So he is very much limiting what he reads/watches.

Yeah. Took me way too long to realize the same and try and opt out as much as possible. I know I can't stop the outrage machine, but I can choose not participate as much as possible.

It's not easy, right? I mean, if you are not completely intentional about your time, "the machine" (and that includes your direct consumption of content, but moreso the people around you who are exposed to the content and deliver it to you second-hand) will fill it with noise that is literally designed to drive you crazy. To be honest, I don't even think it matters which side of the political spectrum you are on. Even when your team is "winning", you stay mad. And more importantly, distracted.

That means distracted from the wealth class slowly eroding our democracy. Which you probably can't control. But more importantly, I think, also distracted from actually being happy and enjoying this life we have. Which you definitely can.

[Shirley]

Put me in the as-little-news-as-possible camp right now. I just can’t do it this week. It helps that I’m traveling for work and putting in late hours.

Unfortunately my wife has become a news junkie and these latest horrors haven’t turned her off. I’m not sure how I’ll handle that.

[A_B]

Unfortunately my wife has become a news junkie and these latest horrors haven’t turned her off. I’m not sure how I’ll handle that.

I feel confident you'll be able to turn her off.

[The Sybian]

Unfortunately my wife has become a news junkie and these latest horrors haven’t turned her off. I’m not sure how I’ll handle that.

I feel confident you'll be able to turn her off.

20 years of data to back that up.

Heard an interesting point in a podcast this morning, which makes me nervous about people tuning out. There hadn’t been a single protest. When Trump first took office, there were tons of protests and marches on all sorts of topics across the country. His second term is looking infinitely worse and actually ramping up insanely quickly, and no protests. I fear there will be no resistance and they will feel no constraints on running wild. And the Dems are feckless sniveling twats who will argue amongst themselves over someone accidentally offending someone else. We are fucked and 50% of the country will only hear the fucking as gaslit great news that Dear Leader is improving their lives.

My only hope is that the bad shit affects enough people that they turn on the GOP. Like with mass deportation, so many people are for it and not believing it’ll include the nice family down the street whose parents entered illegally 40 years ago when the father was an infant. When people see this shit directly impacting friends and family, it’s the only way they’ll see how bad it is.

[Brontoburglar]

obviously you can only argue it in hindsight and in the future, but I think there's a case to be made for regrouping and using the fervor of the early 2017 days 15ish months later before the midterms

will that happen? who knows. but the price of groceries next summer and fall certainly won't be lower than now and there will inevitably be any number of things that have happened since.

I'm more and more of the belief that being in the zone of ignoring as much as possible without becoming apathetic is the right way to go while channeling any anger/desire for change into tangible good. the FTZWS strategy feeds off the noise that's generated by backlash. and while pointing out that something bad is bad is obviously necessary, I think in this social media moment we're in, there's a law of diminishing returns when it comes to a lot (but not all) of things

[EdRomero]

If we judged how elections would go based on crowd sizes and protests, the Dems would have control of everything. Even an enormous protest like after the repeal of Roe v. Wade is just a small percentage of voters who were already never going to vote for a Republican.

I'm trying to filter everything out too, and failing miserably. The ones that do filter it out still did get enough info to know the Trump will reduce the price of eggs and protect us from the evil Biden crime family and the insane asylum transvestites immigrants who are beating up our daughters in peewee soccer.

[mister d]

My only hope is that the bad shit affects enough people that they turn on the GOP. Like with mass deportation, so many people are for it and not believing it’ll include the nice family down the street whose parents entered illegally 40 years ago when the father was an infant. When people see this shit directly impacting friends and family, it’s the only way they’ll see how bad it is.

But they won't because the admin will be intentional about it. They'll do it to cities and other strongly blue areas and leave Florida and farm/manufacturing labor mostly untouched.

[duff]

I just wanted a nice breakfast with my 16- year old daughter. But nope. The old guys behind talking about transgender people, and how TFG had to let everyone know there are only two genders. And how sad it is that he had to do that because if G-d was involved more than in schools TFG would not have had to say that.

And then the old lady across the room started talking unusually loud. Something about a friend of her daughter's somewhere else couldn't let her kids play at the park because of illegals. She said this loud enough for the young brown men bussing the tables could hear. I was rather disgusting.

I guess curating my social media feed to the NBA and professional wrestling hadn't kept me Conley out of the loop. Thanks old white people. You ruined a fine breakfast with my daughter.

Well they didn't ruin it. G and i had a good laugh about them on the way to school. I just wish she wasn't such a rule follower and let me ask the old fuckers how their lord and savior felt about adultery, divorce, pedophilia and rape. Another day.

[The Sybian]

I just wish she wasn't such a rule follower and let me ask the old fuckers how their lord and savior felt about adultery, divorce, pedophilia and rape. Another day.

See, that’s was BEFORE Trump found Jesus, so it actually makes it even more impressive that Jesus turned a broken man into a perfect angel.

Old white people ruin everything.

[tennbengal]

Every time I glance at even a smidgen of news, I realize I need to just completely zero out. Like, ok, I can just be surprised by the actual moment the world ends, don't need to see it coming in real time.*

*this answer would feel different if my kids were not grown

[TankFarm2023]

I forgot to mention my appreciation for Zeteo/Mehdi Hasan (who just posted a very good interview w/ Heather Cox Richardson), Brian Beutler and the folks at Wonkette.


Not for nothing, but I wonder how consumers will feel when they go to the supermarket as I just did, and noticed the scarcity of........... eggs! And those same eggs were more expensive today than last week!

[tennbengal]

I forgot to mention my appreciation for Zeteo/Mehdi Hasan (who just posted a very good interview w/ Heather Cox Richardson), Brian Beutler and the folks at Wonkette.


Not for nothing, but I wonder how consumers will feel when they go to the supermarket as I just did, and noticed the scarcity of........... eggs! And those same eggs were more expensive today than last week!

That there would be the bird flu thing. Guessing we are gonna miss poultry.

[The Sybian]

I forgot to mention my appreciation for Zeteo/Mehdi Hasan (who just posted a very good interview w/ Heather Cox Richardson), Brian Beutler and the folks at Wonkette.


Not for nothing, but I wonder how consumers will feel when they go to the supermarket as I just did, and noticed the scarcity of........... eggs! And those same eggs were more expensive today than last week!

That there would be the bird flu thing. Guessing we are gonna miss poultry.

Eh, it was a bird flu thing that caused the brief blip in increased egg prices everyone cites to prove Biden is the worst President ever, but we won’t hear anything when the prices go up under Trump.

[Nonlinear FC]

Just want to report back... I've fully switched to The Guardian (gave them some $$ while I was at it) and fully stopped reading WaPo. Game changer for me, in terms of being annoyed and feeling guilty. (Even though I was leaching off of my wife's account that she had for free from her days as a grad student at Georgetown.)

I haven't gotten around to adding PBS and BBC on my YTTV feed, but I'm not as worked up about the nightly news and I don't watch Cable News at home.

[Shirley]

I haven't clicked on the Trump Admin thread in weeks

[Nonlinear FC]

I haven't clicked on the Trump Admin thread in weeks

I tried the last few weeks. I can't do it. The news is bad enough without having folks scolding each other through it all.

[govmentchedda]

Did my 5calls.org today to my two Republican senators. Told them I was a Trump voter during each call. No need to explain that I voted for him to die a painful death really soon.

[Steve of phpBB]

Every day I find myself adding to the muted words list on Bluesky.