The News is Bad
The year is 2010.
More and more people are getting their news from the Internet. And many traditional media sources are greatly suffering as a result.
It’s no wonder. Fresh information is constantly at our fingertips. I am puzzled why anyone would watch television news or read newspapers any more.
I NEVER watch television news. I NEVER buy a newspaper.
But I happened to be in front of a television the other day while waiting on my car at an oil change shop.
The local news was on, so I watched out of the corner of my eye while checking my email on my iPhone.
What I heard solidified my decision to tune out television news.
Here were the first five stories of the broadcast…
1) There had been a kidnapping in the city. No leads on who took the child.
2) A fatal car wreck claimed the lives of two young people driving an SUV.
3) A rare meningitis death took the life of a co-ed at Colorado State University.
4) A man was arrested in a “murder for hire” case.
5) One of the trapped miners didn’t want to be rescued. It turns out his wife discovered he had a mistress while he was still trapped.
After ten minutes of this, I felt completely and utterly traumatized.
Bad news, bad news and more bad news. People are drawn to it like a moth to a flame. That’s why the ridiculous tabloids sell so well.
The news is BAD! At least that’s what the networks would have you believe. After all, bad news SELLS.
It’s no wonder people are so depressed. If you consume this kind of “news” day after day, it will affect you negatively. That much negativity would depress anyone!
My advice?
Turn off the television. While you are at it, stop wasting your time on Ellen, Oprah and soap operas. I understand watching a few hours of television each week, but hours each day?
Do something with your life. Make a difference for someone else. Just stop allowing those only interested in your money to dictate how you think and feel.
Parents, get your kids away from the television set. They are being fed so many bad messages from the media. And the messages of consumption perpetuated by advertisers are even worse.
But, I rant and digress.
The revolution has arrived. Old media is dead. We are the new media.
The news isn’t bad. But the people bringing it to us are.
What are your thoughts? Do you watch television news? How does it affect you?
Great post Joel!
I’ve been trying to tell people about the ‘evils’ of television ‘news’ for a long time…
The late (great) Frank Zappa wrote a great song (I’m The Slime), about this very subject. Here’s a little sample of the lyrics:-
“I may be vile and pernicious
But you can’t look away
I make you think Im delicious
With the stuff that I say
I am the best you can get
Have you guessed me yet?
I am the slime oozin out
From your tv set”
Television and tabloid news is BAD. New(s) media is GOOD
All I can say is AMEN to your post. Well Said. Could n’t have put it in any better way.
The negative energy from TV News these days is obnoxious.
Hi Joel,
Absolutely agree. My wife and I have not watched the news apart from the odd snippet for about 6 months now and our lives have been enhanced one hundred fold. Our income from our online businesses has risen too! No coincidence there methinks!
I really do think that the media and governments like to feed us this c**p to keep us “down there” beholden to their power games. If only we could get the world to think positively all the time what a different world it would be,
We all know that bad stuff goes on but hey do we need to be spoon fed it 24/7
Ditch the news and enhance your life – you will not regret it.
May your wealth grow with you
Jonathan Lake
Hi Joel,
I’ve been IN the media or having to do BATTLE with media for 30 years. It does something to a man. Ugh. But now that I am writing humor from New Zealand, most inspiration comes from the news. I mean, c’mon, Jerry “SuperBowl” Jones, Shake Weights, Tiger, Stimulus Packages, North Korea, Extenze, Bernanke, Obama, Biden, Oprah, Pelosi’s lesbian kiss, Gaga slut, Sarah Palin, Brett Favre, sexting, Dubya and Chilean mines. You can’t make up this stuff! It’s all how you look at it. While drinking adult beverages, would be my suggestion. Haven’t had so much fun since the hogs ate my sister.
Bill
Joel,
This summer our antenna was disconnected for 3 month’s and I new new it.
Most tv is a waste of time and money. You must have cable to watch football o Monday nights. I will use the radio it is still free.
Hi Joel,
I am an absolute believer in living a ‘TV Free’ life. Ever since I have stopped watched the Idiot Box, my life has been more peacefull and happy. I now get to working with amazing people and organisation to make a difference in their and my life. And yes…I am a coach. I really love what I do, and I love hanging out with amazing people like you Joel. Keep bringing on the good stuff.
Khaled
It is funny, five seconds before I read this email, I pitched the local newspaper in my recycle bin. I can’t bear to look at the newspaper anymore and I never watch TV news. It is, as you say, almost all negative stuff. Who needs to fill their head with all of that negativity.
When I watch TV, it is a movie or something educational or fun. Not all of that that other bummer stuff!
I agree completely!!! I personally choose to read all my news and I’m selective about what I choose to read.
My wife and I gave up live TV with the exception of the weather report quite some time ago. My children (all grown and on their own now) were not allowed to turn on the TV before 7pm or until they had all their homework and chores done and my wife and I were selective about what they watched.
A study was done some time ago in a factory of over 2000 workers and they found that the higher up in the responsibility and money making category an individual was the smaller amount of time they spent watching TV. The Chairman of the company only watched about 4 hours of TV a week and half of that was training videos.
These days the average teenager watches over 3.5 hours of TV a day. When you consider the poor examples being set by what’s on TV it’s little wonder why parents have some of the problems they are having.
It’s time to turn off and tune in.
Joel,
I completely agree with you – I don’t watch the news and have stopped our newspaper subscription.
I never have watched daytime TV – too much I want to accomplish during the day, and most of the time the night time TV drives me away from the room.
Parents DO need to encourage themselves and their children to get away from TV and computers – the literacy rates show the effect both these mediums have had on young minds and it’s not good.
Thank you for this thought provoking post.
I LOVE this post! We stopped watching the news quite a while ago; although I do turn on GMA for about 20 minutes in the morning before heading out to take my son to school but that’s about it.
But you are so right! It is depressing and utterly negative; and in many cases completely inappropriate for children. Sometimes I wonder how they get away with reporting some of the things that they do.
Now that said, here in our household, the kid shows are still on, mainly PBS and SpongeBob. And us adults do have our “favorite” shows like Biggest Loser and Lie to Me. Some of the shows like “Lie to Me” are recorded for later viewing AFTER the 7-year-old is in bed.
But I also know that we, as a family, are in the minority. Which is sad.
None the less, great post and I’m at least one person on the planet that agrees with you!
– Kristine
hi Joel,
In my house we call CNN Continuous Negative News – it is a channel we all avoid. The old saying is still true garbage in, garbage out. People who focus only on the negative things in life rarely see all the great things going on around them.
Thanks for posting this Joel – is a great reminder that our quality of life is directly related to what we absorb each day.
Kay Kinder
Joel, You’ve hit on presisely why I don’t watch any prime time television, including the news. There really isn’t anything there. And all this slanderous election hype is the worst. I don’t even know what the issues are because it’s all about slandering the other person into oblivion. Not even worth reading or watching. Which should make something positive and constructive to blog about that much easier and fulfilling. Anyone can write about doom and gloom especially if that’s where you choose to live.
This post was great, glad to see you do this Joel, since you have many followers I know this message has been seen by thousands! Is interesting in Spanish the word News translates to Noticias, notice the first two letters “No” 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
Hey Joel,
What a great topic. I feel like this every single day towards the media bombarding the public with political corruption and one crime after the other. It makes me sick to the very core of my bones…
I live in Johannesburg, South Africa. And as you should know (I assume only if you watch the news. 🙂 ), we are one of the countries with THE highest crime and murder rates in the entire world. If I recall correctly, the only country that outnumbers South Africa with these statistics, is Columbia. Feel free to look it up online if there’s any doubt in your mind whatsoever…
Talking from personal experiences, here are just some “simple” examples what I and close friends and relatives have experienced as individuals regarding our contribution to the victim statistics in this country:
1. I have been hijacked and had a 9mm pistol shoved into my ribcage.
2. My sister has been hijacked and struck against her head with a 9mm pistol.
3. Three of my best friends have been hijacked with fire arms against their heads…each an individual incident.
4. My best friends father have been hijacked twice, where the second attempt they took him into a field with an attempt to murder him after they made him take his clothes off, but he managed to get away.
5. My mother-in-law was shot 5-times and her friend was shot in the heart and killed right next to her in her car while driving away from a casino after winning $1,500 at a game of Black Jack. They were just attacked out of nowhere from a passing vehicle after being followed from the casino after cashing in their chips.
6. I have been house robbed while being at home with my wife.
7. Etc. etc. etc…
The list really goes on and on Joel. I really can keep on going here…
So, with that being said, you can imagine how many juicy stories there are to tell on a daily basis, across a variety of media sources. The media is getting so desperate to sell their material, we’ve been getting complimentary news paper issues for the last 2-months from a normally paid subscription service. Desperate for new clientele? As you explained with more people reading their news online?
Anyhow, just to give you an example of how common serious crime is over here, is the fact that a murder that took place over a stolen cell phone, get’s published on page 4 of page 5, IF it makes it to publication in a local news paper!! Or a house robbery where the husband was shot in front of his wife and children while calmly and innocently having dinner, just for a cell phone and maybe a laptop. Senseless, heartless, meaningless killings of innocent human beings, and it doesn’t even come close to be broadcast ed on regional television, not even the faintest chance of making it nationally.
But nooooo, news about some government official who got his share of a corrupt multi-billion dollar arms deal is way more important than the husband that was just murdered the night before, who’s wife has to go to bed alone at night and raise their kids on her own with no father for her children, and children with no dad to share in their entire lives ahead. A family’s only son and brother, good friend and law abiding, tax paying citizen, was ripped away from all of this in this thing called LIFE, for a measly cell phone or some earthly goods hardly worth selling. And this is not even worthy of mentioning on a front page cover of a local news paper, if even published at all should the incident make it to print.
It is extremely sad Joel..to say the least. It’s enough to make you want to take the law into your own hands and face the consequences as such.
But this is only one of the many reasons why I stopped conceiving news a long time ago living in this country. And even after deciding to cut that part out of my life, you are still constantly bombarded with the latest tabloids and news happening by means of street pole news ads and bill boards which you cannot help but notice, and simply is inescapable.
I can only hope and pray that God in all His wisdom, has a bigger plan behind all of these senseless crimes, and that the Wrath of the Almighty will one day, bring justice for His children affected by these senseless crimes against humanity…
Excellent post Joel. I haven’t watched TV for over 15 years and I don’t miss it a bit. I also felt much better after I stopped. Aside from the generally mindless programming and news that is always negative, the ads are also constantly telling us that we’re not good enough if we don’t have or do or buy this or that.
I see television as being enormously damaging to us in general. We are mentally and emotionally programmed when we subject ourselves to it without even realizing that it’s happening. Buying the latest stuff doesn’t make us better human beings, and the news doesn’t affect our lives directly, so there’s really no reason we need to even hear about it. All it does is create negative thinking and emotion.
It’s also a little known fact that late in his administration Bush was caught passing BILLIONS to the media in order to control what we were told by the news, and I expect that practice is still going on. So that tells me you can’t trust what you hear on the news anyway. All in all it adds up to one thing to me; Turn off the TV. Instead, I watch a movie once in a while and I keep a good book or two next to the easy chair.
Best regards,
Dr. John Michael Christian
Looks like I’m the only one who disagrees with you, Joel! I agree with your basic tenet, but totally disagree with your methodology.
I watch Headline News once/day, and sometimes GMA just to keep up with what’s going on daily. AND, keep up with what crap the media is trying to spoon-feed us (translated: political propaganda).
There’s an old adage in news: the further you are away from the event in time, the more accurate the reporting. Eg, on-site reports of an event that just happened are usually ridiculous, the next day’s newspaper is more accurate, week-old even better, etc.
On-line news is NO BETTER!! I don’t know why everybody seems to think this is “pure” and “truthful”. B******t!! If you’re that naive, you deserve to be led by the nose.
When something is of definite interest, I check out foreign sources and a few other USA sources to get a balanced view. Then check it again a week or so later.
This approach has served me well — taught it to my kids, and most of us watch very little TV.
But I DO SUBSCRIBE to the local newspaper, just to start getting more accurate reports versus the TV crap the day before. Not saying they aren’t biased too, but now I’m starting to get more of the truth.
If you use the noggin God gave you to scan the news intelligently, you’ll be well informed on things of importance, and won’t likely be led.
Joel, I feel the same way you do. I hate watching local news because it’s always so depressing.
I do however use my iPhone to keep up on what’s happening in the world. I’m a huge believer in that if we don’t learn from our mistakes we are bound to repeat them..
Take care,
Jason
Seven years ago my wife and I had a talk. The news was bad (even back then) and we knew that a news diet was in order. Rather than just cutting back on television or going on a “news fast” we decided to cut out the problem entirely.
We sold our television and began a wonderful new life that we enjoy to this very day. Everyone needs to make powerful decisions and that was one of the best decisions that we have ever made.
You can walk into our home today and you will not find a TV because it has been banned at our house. We have suggested this to many people but it usually falls upon deaf ears.
I haven’t been watching the news for the past 3 years. Since everyone else watches the news anything that is truly important I will hear within a few minutes from friends, co-workers, or clients. It works out well because I am able to demonstrate my listening skills as my clients tell me “the news.” They feel good because they can update me on something I didn’t know.
Keep up the great posts.
Brian
http://www.Fitin2Diamonds.com
Joel,
You said:
“The news isn’t bad. But the people bringing it to us are.”
Do you really think that’s what’s at the root of so much negative news every day? I’d be interested to hear more about your thoughts on this…
Warmest,
Jonathan
I stopped watching bad news, it suck my positive energy away
I haven’t been watching television for years, except once a year, when we remember it, we watch a music program with the best French music of the year.
I’ve never liked to read news papers, and I only keep one monthly magazine: Writing Magazine. It’s awesome 🙂
The only time I see tv is when I’m out somewhere and then I am amazed or horrified at what is on. There are so many great things that can occupy a person’s time, energy and mind. Why spend it all in front of television? What a waste!
My kids (now grown, well-adjusted adults) were brought up with minimal television — mostly just PBS and an occasional show. When they were little, I would always have to take them out of the room at my parents’ or my inlaws’ so their little minds wouldn’t be polluted with the violence that others were watching. Some people think it doesn’t matter to have babies and small children in the room with violent tv shows going on. Then they wonder why kids are desensitized to these things.
The media is there only to program people according to what the “powers that be” want people to believe and program them to respond in a particular way to their environment. Like lambs to the slaughter, they do exactly what they are being programmed to do.
I say, “Rise up, people, and turn off your televisions! Close the newspapers and turn off the radio news. Quit complaining about the mythical economy and go create your world!”
You said it real well Joel!
Jenny (above) your right … my parents are are both mistrial and watch reruns of news just to keep the TV on … It’s so sad I haven’t figured out how to help then see the light. Traditional news on TV is as usefully and enlightening as porn these days. Twitter is more accurate (IMHO).
There are a few shows I watch, but they are intentional … shows like “Shameless Idealists” where people like K’naan, Al Gore, and Martin Sean (who’s been arrested about 60 times as an activist) talk about how they do everything they can, in their unique way, try to make the world a better place … or “Real Time” with Bill Maher who cuts through the ‘news’ and talks about real issues from different view points and worth having a conversation about. (lets go cali!)
If I want to be entertained… I call a friend and go out to breath fresh air, or on occasion watch Youtube … at least that’s from ‘real’ people trying to express who they want to be seen as and helps me stay in touch with the real people in our global community. Ted.com rocks!
It’s a simple equation:
Crap in = crap out.
Value in = Value out.
What type of person do you want to be???
Joel, I totally agree with you. These news channels really spread negative vibes all over and they only run on sensationalizing every news item. I would surely cut down watching TV now and work more on my blogs.
I could not agree with you more, I don’t watch television with the exception of faith television and programs that are healthy for personal growth. I have to work my way into just watching a movie. So, thumbs up on this one!
I do a lot of research and it seems that the internet and mobile are not any better when it comes to distraction, but that’s a whole other topic.
I couldn’t agree more with this post. The news is incredibly negative.
Ren and Stimpy re-runs rock tho.
Erik
Regarding the news, a wise man once said “if it’s really important, someone will tell you!”. So, why bother waisting time and energy with primarily negative stuff that drags you down like a sea-anker instead of being empowering ?!
May be someone taking it as a bad news.. but it may even take as an alarming tone…
For privacy reasons I cannot give specific details, but a few years ago I was at a phychicratic hospital, were televsion was all but banned. They only had two sets one in the nature/science lounge and one in the sports lounge. And the only programmes that could be watched on those sets had to be related to the particular lounge.
When I enquired as to the reason for this, the answer was at the time startleling, 90% of television veiwing has a negative effect on you not just the news.
Having thought about that I can now see that it is not far off the mark, when you consider what most people decide to watch. Now i take a much more thoughtful approach to what I watch on television. If I choose to watch an episode of Oprah because the subject matter is one of interest (maybe for some research etc) I have made a concious decision to watch it and I am aware of the possible negative impact and so can limit its effect.
Joel, I agree with you more than anyone esle because it is also happening to my city. I am living in Hong Kong and I would say that 70% of the news either from TV or newspapers are all bad news. It sounds like that if one day, there is no person get kill or no car accident in our city,that will be the biggest news in town. What a sad story for the mass media.Sometimes, I don’t know hwy things have been turned out like this way and perhaps people are just looking for bad news all the times.No wonder we seldom see any smile on any face in our city. I hope there will be more good news channel like God TV and Day Star TV rise up and wash waway all those negative forces by the good news of Jesus in the days to come.
Hey Joel,
you are right. personally I am woking on it. Less TV oK. Bad news Most of the time. But the internet is infected with money making scams all over. Who do we trust. The poor sincere person sooner or later becoms one of those I just mention before. My question, and it is a serious one. You are a smart person. Can you make internet much more safer for a sincere person who wants to earn a decent living with the help of marvelous tehcnology at hand? I call this Food for taught.
Tahnk you for the opportunity.
I have to completely agree with you on this one Joel! I stopped reading the morning newspaper this past year. I would much rather catch up on my new messages from friends around the world that almost always are getting in touch with me over something new they’re into…. which is positive! It stirs the juices and starts my day right (along with meditating!)
Also stopped listening to evening news about 8 yrs. ago..couldn’t take the negativity! What a drain on our positive energy! I’d like to keep all of mine, thank you very much! Petey
Joel does have ways to stir up hornet nests, always based on his own (practical =THE BEST) experience. Stopping and reducing watching TV, or buying newpapers: an evolutionary process with so much more we can do to *get through* our 24/7 mundane lives. Journalistic reporting – always – always has been based on sensationalism, the masses love to see heads rolling, legs torn off, since writing has been invented.
With PC’s, laptops, iPhones,iPads, solar rechargers, iKindles,” what we need most urgently: Improved stamina, EYE-power, Brain-health and Physical exercise – simply because all that has become our newer lifestyle, not necessarily *better*, certainly more interesting for a while, for the moment.
So true, Joel. Everytime I read the papers and see all these bad stuff I end up feeling like crap for the rest of the day. I now only read most of my news from the Internet mainly sports stuff.
If I really am interested in the day’s news I usually ask a colleague or friend on what’s the headlines for the day over lunch.
F#$%CK the bad news… (I wonder what would happen if only good news were allowed, think kind of the LAW OF ATTRACTION. Would more good things happen to all of us every day??)
Nothing on TV or in the paper is news if you use the definitions that “news” is something new.
Their aim is to get eyeball looking at ads. That may be one of the business models of the new media, but not one that will drive reporting.
The reporting will be done by people.. talking to people. Each with their ulterior motives too.
With the old media, we know their ulterior motives.. with the new media, there are so many that they cancel each other out. (I hope)
Congratulation for You Dear Joel! People are very interested in here. I also the less time let for bad news,and negligate agressive films, because so openly can be sense what they want or don,t want to tell me and us. Media managers give moneys for bad news? Is it the world of competencia in bad meanings? I could pay for Media only for the good news…. Bad behavior, bad thinkings, the inheritance of the past times to get people afraid of?! It is a very unright method. Maybe is a tendency to blind people from real and true world? We configure and shape our life…usually I see scientific news by television and like the “Spectrum” TV. More often listening to the radio /religious chanels too/, but my favourite practising is playing the piano and take a walk somewhere alone and try to figure out things how could it be better, what to do and how to do? What would I like to implement in my life? Money is worthy only if it serves good aims, anyway can,t be able to be happy who can get it, whatever greit amount it could be, believe it to me!!! Thank You!
The problem with the news media is that they report the worst of the human condition and they don’t report about what’s happening in the world.
The only news channel of any value is FOX.
I never read the news Joel like I never read comments, Often I am Deterred form commenting because of the lack of conversation among commensurates. I want to read your news which is good that is all I care about, I think only about myself and that is the only way possible for me to change anything in the World if I change me I can change the world someone once said. Last night I was out for a drink and was annoyed by this sleazy talking barman. Why because he was able to make chit chat to this lady I was looking at the bar yes she was nice and pretty until I looked at the eyes of the lady that was serving me behind the bar. Then I thought and stared her in the eyes and asked do you know Joel Commm ? She asked Who he is I just said I will see you Again 🙂
I mostly avoid news.
This really started in earnest after 9/11.
My alarm was set to NPR and I was waking up to immediate
and unbearable stress. I changed the station.
frankly i have undergone a course on meditation named SSY in which u are taught to forget,let it go the nueiance of media,newspapers,tv etc. its a good habit.initially i wondered about it but am convinced about its usefulness. It is u in the heart to learn to unlearn the fallacies of the new advanced world and look deeply inside YOU. YOU there is a peace,satisfaction and joy
I’ve thought the news was bad for some time. But then, much of the news online is bad, too. The only advantage of online news is one can easily pick and choose.
This is exactly the reason I also don’t watch TV news anymore.
They slap you up the side of the head with all the bad news, then sport, then weather, then at the end just to try and make you feel better after all the trauma they put a “nice” story at the end.
As for the newspapers, well what can I say that hasn’t already been said?
Now if I want to know about something specific or appear as if I am keeping “up to date” I simply do some research on the net.
Internet is killing the TV stars.
Have a great day without all the bad news.
Ian
I never really sat down on the couch to watch News. I always watched my Dad. Day after day in front of the TV. Seeing how countries are bombing eachother, and the insignificant events of unnecesarily popular people. I think it gives him some kind of high, being up to date with the world.. but what he’s experiencing is utterly irrelevant to his personal life. Therefore, most news is bad for you, because it stimulates with more than you can take normally in real life.
awesome man honestly this is the xact reason y i dont watch the news ever its very boring depressing i c my family n frnds depressed n they all watch too much news i mean thts the only thing they do THANK GOD i m always away frm this THANKS 🙂