Once upon a time I felt that keeping up with the news made me a better citizen, an informed American and increased my knowledge concerning current events and issues. Somehow the news media in America has turned into a hate filled propaganda machine that is difficult to watch, impossible to believe and an insult to my intelligence and beliefs. My solution is a simple one, I tune all news channels out with extreme prejudice. No CNN, FOX or MSNBC for me. Even most newspapers are worthless as far as I’m concerned. The Sunday paper in my area of Pennsylvania offers one section I still enjoy reading, namely the funnies. Even that section has grown smaller over the years but I still enjoy a few comics like Pearls Before Swine or Garfield. So one might ask what has happened to my brain and knowledge base since I gave up the news. Well:
Frankly, I feel happier. Oh, I’m still concerned about my government being too big as well as some politician’s screaming to take my rights away but overall I feel good. I tuned out the hate filled rhetoric and opinion spewing talking heads who only wanted to tell me what to think instead of just giving me the news and letting me make up my own mind. Freed from all that propaganda and agenda driven news has helped me think more clearly. I now focus on what is good in my life and that has led me to a more peaceful and stress free attitude.
I am more productive with my time since I tuned out Wolf, Shep and Rachel Madcow. I have time to blog, research and read my own trusted news services that actually promote thought and decision-making, as opposed to telling me why I should agree with CNN or FOX networks version of stories. I guess tuning out the news has actually increased and accentuated my critical thinking skills. Thanks CNN, FOX etc. you have made me a better thinker and decision maker.
My frustration levels with the news and the long line of opinionated talking heads that pollute these networks is reduced to very manageable levels. Why in the heck should I give a rats bum about what some supposed expert on some subject of importance thinks when I never heard of these experts or even know why they are considered experts. They appear no different from any other person who has an opinion or viewpoint. Just because CNN believes they have something worthwhile to say doesn’t necessarily mean, they do have something worthwhile to say. Everybody has an opinion but everyone can’t be on TV to speak that opinion. I talk to people everyday who I consider much smarter than Juan Williams, Wolf Blitzer or Anderson Cooper. Why waste my time watching people I consider to be morons when I can engage real people who have real opinions in an actually face to face conversation. Just saying……..
I am a blogger and therefore quite a bit of the news I read comes from other blogs and internet sites. Now before anyone thinks I don’t do my homework before verifying a story I read, I usually check stories on several sites to verify the event did in fact happen. I also take little if any news from Yahoo or Google to heart since I really don’t care what the Kardashians or Jenners are up to. Most sites using trending news are usually filled with mindless info and outright BS. I have trained my brain to filter that nonsense right out. That filtering is another by-product of eliminating Main Stream news from my mental diet.
Like I said previously, I am still a concerned citizen when it comes to my country, beliefs and freedoms. I just don’t need the professional news media to tell me what I should be concerned about. I know right from wrong, good from evil and Don Lemon ain’t going to convince me any different. My opinions and views have been formed over the years by what I have experienced, learned and consistently research. Ironically with all our currently technology, it seems that finding trusted news and real informative news is harder than ever. Strange times we live in.
So if you haven’t yet tuned out the cable news networks, give it a try. You will be happy you did.
The Skeptical Observer 