Maybe ignorance is bliss......

There are times when I stop actually watching it on the tv. Now is one of them. I just look at headlines online and then try to get on with things. I think especially the BBC has convenient tunnel vision, comes up with skewed facts and alarmist story lines. I know we were brought up to think of them as impeccable...but there’s so much evidence to suggest otherwise now. I like to also read a wide view on the covid stuff just to give some balance. It’s quite illuminating. The press love a dramatic story line often at the expense of accuracy and we need not to be drawn down into that....which I fear is what’s happening now.

I’m really going to have to stop watching the news and briefings. On top of everything else it’s making a bad situation worse. I’m starting to get really tearful, what’s worse I feel the need to swear at the television. My late father did this and it drove us all crazy. My motivation has completely disappeared. I can’t even read a book To calm down and keep my mind off all the sadness I’m listening to dramas and podcasts on bbc sounds. Will this unending misery and sadness ever end.? It’s so draining.

I don’t avoid news altogether as I like to know what’s happening so I can be prepared. I do agree that a lot of it is overhyped and sensationalised and can affect people mentally. I listen to the BBC global news podcast once a day, it seems to have a good balance.

I think all the news channels and presenters love to sensationlise the news they give their opinions rather than the actual facts they seems to be experts in every subject. They constantly ask the most stupid questions to the government ministers and they don't listen to the answers. The quality of most journalists is very poor and unfortunately the female journalists and presenters just seem to shriek and interrupt people sorry rant over
.

I stopped watching the six o'clock news after the Westminster terror attacks, because it was genuinely affecting my state of mind. Even more so now.
I watch the news when I get up, then a couple of times during the day I look at the BBC news app, and that's it. Apart from any prime ministerial updates.

I can't be doing with some "political correspondents" who seem to think they're being hard-hitting crusaders but actually come across as petulant poop-stirrers.

It's not reporters who cause shortages/delays in the food supply chain, it's the Government's inept policies and the restrictions placed on travel/manufacturing processes due to Covid-19.

Reporters relay the news, they don't create shortages.

I think sticking to one news channel can offer a warped view of the world. I am a bit of a news junkie so I read the Guardian and Private Eye (it’s not all satirical, it gets to the news behind the news) and I watch Euro News (fantastic for in-depth news items about other parts of the world, not just Europe), Al Jazeera, CNN (fascinating during the recent US elections check up on the news via the Guardian, Washington Post and BBC apps. I keep promising myself a break from it all but I can’t do it just yet. I’m scared of missing anything!

morethan2

I’m really going to have to stop watching the news and briefings. On top of everything else it’s making a bad situation worse. I’m starting to get really tearful, what’s worse I feel the need to swear at the television. My late father did this and it drove us all crazy. My motivation has completely disappeared. I can’t even read a book To calm down and keep my mind off all the sadness I’m listening to dramas and podcasts on bbc sounds. Will this unending misery and sadness ever end.? It’s so draining.

I am exactly the same morethan2

Well I know that I watch the news channels and follow the broadsheets on FB far too much for my own good but can't seem to stop! I don't agree re Laura Kuenssberg but I do get annoyed with the broadsheets putting out totally contradictory articles several times a day, which are opinion rather than fact.

I disagree. They create panic. "Reporters relay the news, they don't create shortages."

I'm much happier when I limit my time listening to the news. I already know things are bad so I don't need to be told that several times a day with graphs, statistics and the same old questions repeated constantly.

In one breath they're saying not to panic buy then in the next breath they're saying there'll be a shortage of fresh food due to the lorries backed up. People obviously WILL panic buy. D'oh !

Bless him Elliane

I wish they'd all shut up. They've got too much to say.

There's great essay by Clive James entitled "Mass death dies hard". It's about how the press behaves, using climate change as an example of how the press like (to reverse the words of the popular song) "Accentuate the negative, eliminate the positive." The main stream press have lost all integrity and are now political campaigns. Try just limiting yourself to a short news report every day. If it makes you feel more settled, that's the way to go.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Who brings them to book for negative, biased and just plain nasty behaviour towards anyone who has a different viewpoint to them, you are right journalists are supposed to do as you say in a neutral way but they have lost the plot and their impartiality

Moobox
How right you are. That is why I only watch my local news chanel.Ignorance is bliss.

I listened, read or watch the news once daily. That’s it unless there is something other than COVID or Brexit. It just winds me up, so I’ve given up.

I’m far less anxious than I used to be but it’s all too much

I listen in the morning, 5 minutes at lunchtime and watch the news in the evening and that is all.
Its not necessary to have the News on more frequently and is not good for mental health to hear all this bad News continually. I people may have been better off during WW2 when we see them gathered around the wireless in the evening.

We don’t watch or listen to the news, headlines pop up on our iPads and that’s enough these days.

I find the antagonism towards the press terrifying to be honest, quite trumpian. I thank god the press are doing their job even those I dont agree with.

Just a minute ago an expert Prof Peter ? was being interviewed re the new variant covid on BBC News channel and presenter made the statement to the expert that the variant was much more deadly, didn't ask if it was,told him it was! Prof went on to explain it wasn't. Don't usually watch that channel and I certainly won't switch on again. Female presenter had Australian/New Zealand accent I think.

Shinamae. I'm with you. I'm also a newshound. The TV news is on pretty much most of the time when we are not watching entertainment TV. Got to keep on top of breaking news. Been fascinated by US news, especially Trump related. You couldn't make it up. But I must say that we are now feeling Covid news overdosed. So we keep up to date on the latest news, but have tried to minimise it a bit. I understand not everyone is interested in the same way, but it amazes me when experts pop up and say that we need to ensure everyone knows the safety precautions. How can anyone not know? We've been in this since March. And anyone who has got a TV surely catches news reports at beginning and end of programmes.

I have it upsetting/depressing to watch/listen to news at the moment so just look on line on the BBC and Guardian websites 2 or 3 times a day. I am being very careful and dont feel I can do any more so just try and ignore it the rest of the time.