this post was submitted on 01 Apr 2025
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114
‘I can’t cope with it any more’: newsrooms scramble to retain audiences amid the big switch-off (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 3 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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“I used to have the news on the TV every morning for an hour or so as I got the children ready for school and completed my household tasks,” he said. “Now it has literally been switched off and unplugged. I can’t cope with it any more. It’s just too much and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Though he dips into his favourite news apps occasionally in the evening, he now strictly limits his news consumption. He’s not alone. The Guardian has been contacted by a series of one-time news junkies who are now seeking to restrict their news intake after suffering from disturbed sleep or a downturn in their mood.

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[–] [email protected] 45 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

When I grew up, my parents watched a 15-minute news show in the evening (Tagesschau).
It's deliciously German, delivered with extremely neutral tone of voice and facial expressions.
(So much so that it's become a meme.)
It's also designed by committee to be neutral in point of view.
And that was enough to stay generally informed.

Watching an entire hour of America's sensationalist and excited TV news sounds like the shittiest possible start to a day.

[–] [email protected] 27 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Watching an entire hour of America's sensationalist and excited TV news sounds like the shittiest possible start to a day.

Wait till you find out that a lot of people keep Fox "News[sic]" running all day, including in public places like waiting rooms where people have no choice but to be exposed to the propaganda. (And it's always Fox, BTW, because the business owners are choosing the channel.)

[–] jballs 10 points 3 days ago

It's absolutely disgusting how people become addicted to Fox News. It's like misinformation crack.

You really never hear of a person who just watches 15 minutes of Fox News. It's either someone that doesn't watch Fox News intentionally - or it's running 24/7 at their house.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 days ago

That’s why I’m never in a waiting room without air pods and a book

[–] [email protected] 37 points 3 days ago (2 children)

This is what happens when News cares more about revenue and numbers rather than, you know, the news.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 3 days ago

Keeping people informed with journalistic integrity makes less money, so fascist dictatorship it is!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

At this point, the world's energy crisis could be solved handily by harnessing the graves of each country's independent investigative journalism and tapping the free energy created as they spin like gargantuan hydroelectric turbines.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 3 days ago

I still read the news about as much as I did in the before times. I just don’t want to hear TV journalists fall all over themselves to rationalize things or seem impartial when reporting on crimes. I also don’t want to hear either of our dumb leaders’ stupid voices and the unending stream of bullshit they spew.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 3 days ago

Across newsrooms around the world, strategies are being launched to reach news avoiders, a cohort of refusniks behind a long-term decline in news engagement.

I mean. The problem is right there.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 days ago (3 children)

I'm also conflicted about this myself. One the one hand I want to know what's going on in the world, also the bad things. I don't want to be oblivious to the genocide in Gaza, the war in Ukraine or any other conflict. But with the EU shifting further right, migrants drowning every day, and the US going full fascist, I'm noticing the news starts to affect my mood. Do I accept these unpleasant feelings because a lot of other people have a rough time, or do I choose to shun myself from it and live my life since I can't do much about most of it? Feel free to chime in with your opinion on what is the right thing here.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

You have to help yourself before you can help someone else. Yes, being intentionally uninformed is bad, but reading/listening to nothing but doom and gloom will do nothing for anyone. Plus, by and large, you probably can't do a whole lot about those situations you mentioned.

Become more engaged in local politics, watch/attend your town hall meetings, get to know your neighbors, give a dollar to the beggar on the street, volunteer in your community, go out in nature.

Modern activism demands that everyone is knowledgeable and actively fighting everything wrong in the entire world all of the time. And that's just not sustainable. Take a step back, catch your breath, and trust that others will keep up the yelling until you get back.

[–] phdepressed 4 points 3 days ago

You really have to walk a line between being informed and mood being affected. Lemmy and occasional comedian rants on YouTube work for me.

I don't do TV news at all.

[–] shaserlark 2 points 3 days ago

Feel you on this, it’s depressing but it’s a valid feeling because we live in really dark times and as individuals we have very limited influence on the turnout of these things.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

After the election I cut out what little mainstream media I still followed. Half because it's unreliable and half because I don't think anything is going to save us from the nosedive our nation is taking, so what's the point?

It's better to get news somewhere like Lemmy anyway. I can hop in the comments and figure out pretty quickly if it's valid or not. Someone always calls out misinformation. Better than letting some corporate talking head tell me what's going on.

Man, we REALLY shouldn't have axed the Fairness Doctrine. Remind me who was in control when it was axed? Oh yeah, Republicans under Ronald Reagan. Color me unsurprised.

[–] captain_aggravated 6 points 3 days ago

Yeah what the fuck good is the 24 hour "Donald Trump Peeled And Ate Ten More Babies" show? They should be the first ones against the fucking wall.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago

Broadcast and cable news are today's newspapers. Tomorrow they will be gone and no one will miss them. I've tried watching news programs, but it seems so pointless. They cover half a dozen stories, if that, none of which answers any real questions. I get better information more quickly by spending 5 minutes flipping through my rss feed or 10 minutes scrolling through tiktok.