Why I don't care about the news

[NLSoldier]

Excerpt from the other news thread-The first sentence in the quote is me and the rest is El D's reply.

[ QUOTE ]

NL,

"the only news i get is links from 2p2. anyone else like this? i generally dont have much reason to know/care about what is going on but sometimes its awkward when talking to adults or w/e and they ask me about some big news story and im like "hmm never heard of it""

I just can't relate to this. I have a desire to know what is going on in the world and be aware of news as a general matter of course. It's sorta hard for me to even engage in this dialogue since I so completely can't relate to having no desire to "know/care about what is going on."

This is actually a different discussion. You should create a new thread about it: "Why I don't care about the news."



[/ QUOTE ]

Ok here are my reasons.

First of all, I am a transplant from central MN to san diego, and don't quite fully consider myself a san diegan yet, so I really have a hard time getting interested in what is going on in the local news with what new animal the zoo just accuired or how much pot just got confiscated in a tunnel from mexico or how some guys just died in a fishing accident on a nearby lake (ironically, had this been in MN, where I spend countless hours at the lake, i prob would have cared quite a bit)
edit-"effed up news story to discuss" was one that was even in MN but i really dont see any reason to have more than a "WTF, oh well im moving on with my life" reaction to it.

Basically imo the local news is a few imporatant stories that are actually more national or global surrounded by a bunch of fluff that gives ppl something to talk about at work or around the dinner table or w/e. I guess there could be some important stuff related to the san diego economy in there but I dont really foresee getting a job here or buying a house here any time soon.

I do care somewhat about global news such as the recent collapse of foreign markets and what not (i know this was like a month ago and honestly dont have a clue if they have recovered or not), but i can get info and links to stuff like that from 2p2 so i have no reason to turn on CNN.

I also care somewhat about national politics, especially the presidential election and anything related to the internet gambling bill, but again there is way more info about that stuff on 2p2 than on the news. I also feel like certain credible 2p2ers will give far more useful and honest takes on such issues than any news broadcaster.

I definately do care about sports for entertainment and because it is one of the few fields i would be interested in working in at some point, so I do watch espn a ton. (not that i think watching espn is going to somehow land me a job as GM of the chargers or anything)

As far as stuff like "entertainment news" goes, i cant see how people COULD care. Who in the hell cares how many times britney spears goes to rehab or shows her vag while getting out of a car? Or how paris hilton and lindsay lohan got in some cat fight. Same goes for [censored] like the Anna Nicole situation. While I was at commerce a few weeks back, that was ALL you heard about even on legit channels like CNN. Someone plz tell me how that story was important to anyone other than the people involved. Im guessing the stations just kept plastering her all over teh screen because they knew it would be weeks b4 most guys got sick of staring at her boobs.

I'm probably just really self centered (or maybe just more honest about it than most) but I guess my general point is that I don't see any reason to care about news unless:

A.it pertains to me in some direct way,(usually financially) or i can learn something useful/important from it, often health/safety related such as product recalls or maybe a new product/technology that could be of use to me.

B.it entertains me more than the opportunity cost of the entertainment hours or work hours i am foregoing in order to watch it.

C.it has serious national or global implications, US declaring war on someone, asian markets going to crap, etc. (And even these have to indirectly tie back to 'A' in some way, i really dont care which middle eastern country is attacking their neighbor, etc)

[sonneti]

I don't watch the news because it's depressing and I can't do anything about it. I think its primary aim is to scare the [censored] out of the general public.

I've been quite close to a few stories that have ended up on the news and it's never been even close to "what actually happened".

[NLSoldier]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't watch the news because it's depressing and I can't do anything about it. I think its primary aim is to scare the [censored] out of the general public.

I've been quite close to a few stories that have ended up on the news and it's never been even close to "what actually happened".

[/ QUOTE ]

two more very good points that I should have mentioned. especially the 2nd one.

[wpr101]

I don't like watching TV news or reading the newspaper very much. But I do follow the news and politics a lot. A decent amount of my knowledge comes from internet news sites that I check at work. I also read a wide range of political journals, specifically The Economist, The Weekly Standard, and The New Republic. I find it interesting which is my main reason.

I do think that if you are only getting knowledge from twoplustwo that is a problem. I know that when I read BBV or OOT too long I feel like I'm in a different universe.

[CharlieDontSurf]

I've always thought reading the new is far >>> than watching

[Big Poppa Smurf]

I don't watch the news because it's not even really "news" most of the time. You turn it on or open the paper and all you see is mugging this, fire that, murder/rape blah blah blah. Nothing that is actually important or monumental, just depressing and scary.

However I must admit that the other big reason I don't care about the news is simply because I don't care. For the most part, national politics or world politics or going-ons really don't affect my life at all on a daily basis. The situations that do (UIGEA bill for example) I will pay attention to briefly, but since in general I don't think these things really affect my life and I have zero control over them, I just don't bother paying attention.

This is almost certainly a really bad attitude to have.

[tsearcher]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't watch the news because it's not even really "news" most of the time. You turn it on or open the paper and all you see is mugging this, fire that, murder/rape blah blah blah. Nothing that is actually important or monumental, just depressing and scary.



[/ QUOTE ]

While that news is depressing and scary, it's still important. I don't know what paper you are reading, but there's usually a lot more info in it than just that.

[Aloysius]

[ QUOTE ]
As far as stuff like "entertainment news" goes, i cant see how people COULD care. Who in the hell cares how many times britney spears goes to rehab or shows her vag while getting out of a car? Or how paris hilton and lindsay lohan got in some cat fight. Same goes for [censored] like the Anna Nicole situation. While I was at commerce a few weeks back, that was ALL you heard about even on legit channels like CNN. Someone plz tell me how that story was important to anyone other than the people involved. Im guessing the stations just kept plastering her all over teh screen because they knew it would be weeks b4 most guys got sick of staring at her boobs.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed. People's fascination with pop culture is incredibly lame (I work in Hollywood, so my perspective could be skewed, cause it's a fairly dominant topic of conversation).

To extend this idea - one thing that's difficult for me to understand is how a person gets really invested in a movie, or TV show, when they had nothing to do with it on any level.

I can see getting upset if the movie doesn't get produced, or the TV series gets canceled (for example, if somehow Season 5 of The Wire doesn't get produced I will quit my job and start campaigning for its return) - but beyond that don't quite get emotional / personal investment in things you have no stake in.

-Al

[Losing all]

I care too much to follow the news. Seriously, it makes me ill. I might still be burned out from 9/11, or maybe that just f'd my head up for good.

[dankhank]

watch the news hour with jim lehrer or some other serious news show if you want to avoid all the entertainment angles but still know what's going on. i like following the news. it is good for making conversation i guess, and it probably helps make financial decisions occasionally. for example a person could've made smart real estate choices the last few years. or a person who knows how to navigate through unclear news stories might've handled the uiega/neteller situations a little better than the average fool.

i agree though when i'm sitting in an airport or other random place where msnbc et. all is on, i'm amazed at what passes for news these days.