I have been thinking a lot about the news media – not just the news dispersed daily around the world but the media itself. I realize I must adjust to a new view of the news media. There was a time when the news industry had a cachet of trust with the American public as did those who dispensed the news; but things have changed. The news media are now part of a much larger entertainment industry whose goal is making money and having power. So I have been asking, “How does one sell the news?” and “How do we create viewer/listener loyalty?” The answer seems to be to air the news that will remind us daily that the world is a frightening and very dangerous place. The answer seems to be to use sensationalism and 24/7 reports on disasters, murders, terrorism, war, crimes and juicy bits about our heroes or heroines. And we have participated in this with eyes glued to screens or ears tuned to speakers.
Then there is the cult of personality. The dispensers of the news have become personalities and “newsworthy” items themselves. They market themselves and exploit their activities, all in service to the ratings game. There is little wonder that their egos become inflated. We give them power through our adulation and then become disenchanted when we find that they are no different than we who must also be vigilant about the ways the ego can seduce us.
How does our addiction to the news help us? How does it serve us to be hooked on politics, power, the latest horror or catastrophe, or the latest piece of gossip about some well-known person? Can we not utilize our time in more productive or nurturing ways? I do believe in being an informed citizen and wonder whether we can become more deliberate about the sources of our news and less drawn to news as entertainment.
I’d also like to suggest taking a break from the news. How about not listening or watching the news for two weeks? The news will still be there, but in those two weeks, pay attention to how it feels to be free of the news. Do you notice any change in your level of worry or anxiety? How do you fill the time that you would normally devote to the news? In what way might it change your view of the world and your place in it when changing your focus from the world “out there,” to the world immediately around you? While you are trying this out, consider what other sources of news might be out there for you to access – sources that might be more honest, less sensational, and less tied to a cult of personality.
Try it. It may change your life!
Then there is the cult of personality. The dispensers of the news have become personalities and “newsworthy” items themselves. They market themselves and exploit their activities, all in service to the ratings game. There is little wonder that their egos become inflated. We give them power through our adulation and then become disenchanted when we find that they are no different than we who must also be vigilant about the ways the ego can seduce us.
How does our addiction to the news help us? How does it serve us to be hooked on politics, power, the latest horror or catastrophe, or the latest piece of gossip about some well-known person? Can we not utilize our time in more productive or nurturing ways? I do believe in being an informed citizen and wonder whether we can become more deliberate about the sources of our news and less drawn to news as entertainment.
I’d also like to suggest taking a break from the news. How about not listening or watching the news for two weeks? The news will still be there, but in those two weeks, pay attention to how it feels to be free of the news. Do you notice any change in your level of worry or anxiety? How do you fill the time that you would normally devote to the news? In what way might it change your view of the world and your place in it when changing your focus from the world “out there,” to the world immediately around you? While you are trying this out, consider what other sources of news might be out there for you to access – sources that might be more honest, less sensational, and less tied to a cult of personality.
Try it. It may change your life!