By David Von Drehle David Von Drehle Columnist focusing on national affairs and politics Email Bio Follow Columnist May 14 at 6:19 PM Could it be a civic duty to tune out the news? Journalist Oliver Burkeman floats this provocative idea in a recent essay published in the Guardian newspaper. We owe it to society — and to ourselves — to tune out a good deal of the time, he says.
Fed an endless diet of information tailored just for us, we can easily fall into a distorted version of the world. Just as easily, we can find others through social media who share and reinforce that view. We get the feeling that each day’s news confirms our worst fears and begin to wonder whether the world is coming unhinged. All of this is a function of information merchants trying to seize our scarce attention and hold it as long as they can.
For my acquaintance, this was alarming evidence that hatred is spreading across America. I suggested another possibility: Information is so easy to come by that every stupid thing said by every small-town volunteer can be dangled before her worried gaze. Until recently, she would never have known that Hoschton, Ga., was even a place — much less that its officials say bigoted things.
“When the news is hard to come by,” he counsels, citizenship means seeking it out. But when the glut of information drives us apart, the good citizen must put forward effort to avoid the excess and elude the algorithm.
Well do you hav an obligation to report the actual truth and real facts, or just report whatever you’re told to by your Dem overlords? Cuz I’ll be honest, it’s lookin like you might have some overlords.
It's not threatening our democracy. Dumbass Americans who can't be bothered to pay attention to anything beyond Facebook/Instagram/Snapchat, along with white nationalists/supremacists, American Nazis, and Sharia Christians who've never read the Constitution is the bigger threat.
Fake news is alive and doing well every day-put out for us all from the far-far left news media.
Interesting take. Ideally, it’d be nice to tune the news out. I agree algorithms are feeding us drama, which helps to paint things only black and white. But there’s too much going on, we need to—in whatever small way, speak up and voice our concerns.
Including WAPO? Then yes please
PanicInDC
DavidVonDrehle how about tuning out reality TV Teenagers can tell you all about jersey shore but can't make change at store
can we start with nytimes and WaPo?
Considering many organizations, including this one, pushed a lie for two years. Yes, absolutely tune out the news.
Fact: Do we owe it to society— and our readers — to report the truth? Fixed it for ya Com-Post😉 FACTSMATTER RussiaHoax
News paper?
Ourselves. Let yellow dog journalism eat itself alive.
I ban all MSM in my household, one turns it on in my house, TV goes in the garbage bin, I won't allow evil to indoctrinate my family.
What news? 24/7 propaganda is what passes for news these days. Even the weather involves climate change rhetoric
oh yea, this will do wonders for an industry already barely hanging on by it's fingernails financially.
Wapo is the absolute worst. You are a MOCKINGBIRDMEDIAFAILURE Keeping pushing the FAKENEWS please dont stop. President Trump thanks you for his win in 2020🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 PS this is the most accurate 5AM talking point you shills are gonna get all day! enjoytheshow
the question is not in quantity but as read)
Compelling Point
No
can be reduced to one. Rolling Stone writes the truth about politics.
you can and reduce) journalism is still there.
It would help if most media--present company most definitely included--wasn't steaming excrement.
Yes. Until the news pulls back from amplifying sensationalism, and focuses on fairly reporting on the facts without manipulation. Honestly you are part of the problem.
No, but tuning out WaPo works wonders.
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