“I never watch the News’.

Casdon

I didn’t think OP literally meant watch the TV news, rather that this lady had no knowledge of what was in the news, through any media source because she didn’t watch, listen to or read it. Maybe I misinterpreted.

Thanks Casdon and Blondiescot.

As the OP, that’s precisely what I meant, not literally watching the tv news, they just didn’t get involved with news in any shape or form.

I can't imagine why some people never watch or read the news. To me it's important to know what's going on , both here and in the world. Also, those sort of people can seem a bit boring, imho.

Oh I took it literally as watching the news on tv.

I stand by my post that tv news had just become another entertainment.

I prefer written reports that are as factual as possible.

Though that’s not easy to find

Does this thread literally mean watching the news, as on tv? I thought it meant keeping up at least a cursory knowledge of what is going on in the world, So for example,if you had had a holiday in Ukraine booked to start on 24th February last year, you would have been aware of what was happening in that country in the run upto that date and would have rethought your plans.

I am sorry if this offends some, butI think to say you do not watch, listen or read, because it is all bad news is the cowards way out. We all live on the same planet and are equal in our humanity and we should never cut ourselves off from other human beings because the terrible lives they live upset us

Upset us! - they are having to live them. In Ukraine, North Korea and iran among others.

On the other hand, we also hear of life's great successes. Those who triumph over disaster, willingly go into terrible situations to help their fellow humans, British doctors in Turkey after the earth quakes, rescuing civilians in Syria, struggling in Sudan to feed the starving.

I find it strange that some people don’t watch or read the news. How can you hope to be informed about things that directly (and indirectly) affect you if you stick your head in the sand?

It’s up to the individual as to how well informed they want to be. If they wish to ignore what is going on and live in blissful ignorance well I don’t really blame them.The only time I get annoyed is when they turn up at a polling station to vote.

I find BBC news more reliable than most others and certainly more so than the Daily Wail. Channel 4 news is interesting but one has to remember its bias towards campaigning. I find Newsnight and some others a rehash of the news with some half-baked and opinionated interviews.

I just dont understand how can folk make informed choices for example about political parties if the news isnt followed? Surely we should be interested in happenings in our own country and also what is happening around the world?

I trained as a journalist. I watched all the news programs, read all the papers (working in a newsroom, I had access to them all) And now I only ever listen to the News on the radio in the car. I get the general gist of what’s going on from SM and if something interests me then I follow it up. But I don’t watch news and I no longer read newspapers other than occasionally online.

Hetty58

My friend doesn't follow the news - and has no interest at all in current affairs or politics. She doesn't vote, either, just lives in her own little world.

By contrast, my mother took a very keen interest in it all, convinced that it was vital to be up to date and well informed about news from around the world - despite being 89 (and I did wonder why - as it made no difference, really).

It probably meant very much to your mother to be well-informed about the world she lived in. As long as you are alive, what goes on in the world is relevant to your thought processes, and sometimes even the decisions you might make.

Kudos to her!

Casdon

I didn’t think OP literally meant watch the TV news, rather that this lady had no knowledge of what was in the news, through any media source because she didn’t watch, listen to or read it. Maybe I misinterpreted.

I thought the same.

I dislike 'watching' the news, I hear it, but very rarely 'watch' as much news is too upsetting to 'watch' - I hear the words, that is enough, I'm knowledgeable to the current news of the world.

I know upsetting pictures are difficult, I protect my mental health.

I think it's important to watch the News. It is true some channels tend to sensationalise some stories but we should know what's going on in our own country and around the world.

How can we vote or become involved in local issues if we haven't got a clue what's going on?

I still remember the woman who couldn’t recognise Starmer, and didn’t know who he was when told, quite a while after he had been elected party leader.

gsm In the past I have heard people unable to name who the Prime Minister at the time was and being just as blank when given the name or shown a photo.

I wonder if they vote?

I don't watch it per se but do keep in touch with it online, read articles and watch documentaries;.

As for the BBC being reputable ....? Biased and reading from a Government script is my view on that. The MSM is owned by the elite and they spread whatever is in their interest. Follow the money ...

If anyone is seriously interested in what is going on, this is the documentary that pulls it all together -

twitter.com/i/status/1689237022689415168

... and this one about the NHS

t.co/WdP8qarqcz

There are some interesting "non" news programmes on the main BBC News Channel. On Sunday morning I watched an interview with Carlos Acosta. As I'm sure you know he is Cuban and was young when Russia supported Cuba.

Acosta's father decided when the boy was 9 that he needed more discipline in his life and so he was enroled in ballet school. He wasn't that keen and certainly didn't enjoy the classical training until, aged 13 he saw a performance with male dancers whose athleticism surprised him and he wanted to emulate them. So he knuckled down and at 16 he was entered for the Prix de Lausanne, which he won. The rest is history.

One thing that I found interesting was at that time in Cuba a child/teenager could train to become whatever they wanted - a lawyer and obviously a ballet dancer - for nothing - paid for by the state.

Anyway, that was something that I learned watching the news channel.

Yes, Dinahmo, there is so much that is interesting on news channels and in papers, but the sort of person who prides themselves on never watching/reading/listening to any news. usually prides themselves on not doing anything but surfing on social channels and then complains when they failed to claim some benefit or similar that nobody told them about it and it is all a government plan to stop people claiming

Germanshepherdsmum

I still remember the woman who couldn’t recognise Starmer, and didn’t know who he was when told, quite a while after he had been elected party leader.

I remember the young woman, when asked by a reporter how she intended to vote in the referendum, asked "What referendum?" and then didn't know what the EU was.

😱. How can people not know these basic things? Do they just talk about celebrities, sex and clothes all the time?

Germanshepherdsmum

😱. How can people not know these basic things? Do they just talk about celebrities, sex and clothes all the time?

Love Island and other such drivel!

Of course. Why didn’t I think of that.

Germanshepherdsmum

😱. How can people not know these basic things? Do they just talk about celebrities, sex and clothes all the time?

My friend doesn’t watch those, either.
Her main topic is benefit scrounges.

I don't know if it's me getting older, but most news sources are most definitely biased. I'm becoming more and more disillusioned with main stream reporting, and trying to access various sources to find a more balanced view,
I think it's amazing that we sneer at China/Russia etc., for their control of the news, but accept what we are fed as gospel.

I wonder how many of the WASPI women didn't bother reading or listening/ watching the news.