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Anyone else given up reading the news

(48 Posts)
Doodle Mon 19-Aug-19 10:42:01

I haven’t found a single positive good happy story in the paper today. I find reading the paper with my breakfast brings me down with all the worry and troubles in the world. I am thinking of giving it up and reading (if I can remember how) a book instead.
Anyone else stopped reading the news?

Anniebach Mon 19-Aug-19 11:00:44

I don’t read newspapers Doodle but have rolling news on for most of the day , so depressing, but I keep it on just to see
human faces .

annep1 Mon 19-Aug-19 11:05:28

I try to avoid it. It's so depressing and infuriating.
It's difficult though as my husband is a news junkie.

annep1 Mon 19-Aug-19 11:10:06

Anniebach Is there nothing more cheerful you could watch like This Morning?
Do you never have visitors? I thought you had family close. Have I got that wrong?
(Apologies. This is offtopic )

henetha Mon 19-Aug-19 11:10:42

I rarely buy a newspaper but I have to know what's going on in the world so it's radio/tv/mobile phone news on and off all day for me. I've always been a compulsive news freak as far back as I can remember. Glued to the old bakelite radio when I was a child/teenager, and onwards etc....

Septimia Mon 19-Aug-19 11:15:46

We haven't bought a newspaper for years. DH reads every one he can find online. I take a quick look at the bbc news online and then head for gransnet! We do watch the evening news on the television, including the local news, but I often have my laptop on at the same time.

The news is seldom cheerful and uplifting. I think they look for the most miserable stories they can find.

Blinko Mon 19-Aug-19 11:19:02

My step mum in law would never watch or listen to the news. She felt it was always full of things that depressed her and that were totally outside her control. After a lifetime of avid news watching, I think I'm going the same way hmm.

SirChenjin Mon 19-Aug-19 11:19:30

I don’t read any papers, online or otherwise, simply because it’s too depressing and/or divisive - everything seems to be about identity politics of one kind or another and the fallout from that. I find myself flicking through the BBC website and then wish I hadn’t because ditto.

quizqueen Mon 19-Aug-19 11:21:05

Strictly and Bake Off start soon. That's good news.

Squiffy Mon 19-Aug-19 11:23:14

I keep threatening to stop reading/listening to the news, but somehow always find myself irresistibly drawn to it. It's all so depressing and full of negativity and that's overwhelmingly what is focused on. Surely some heartwarming stories are worthy of mention?! They seem to be an afterthought.

Beckett Mon 19-Aug-19 11:25:56

A friend of ours used to be a journalist and he said whenever he would go out to the scene of an accident his editor would always say - don't come back with good news!

Unfortunately bad news helps sell newspapers and increase viewing figures. How many people would switch on to see someone completing a round the world solo flight compared to how many would switch on to see the aftermath of a plane crash

Anniebach Mon 19-Aug-19 11:25:59

annepl no family near, my younger granddaughter lives 50
miles away and visits about every 10 to 14 days. My three grandchildren moved away last year after their mothers suicide. I do see the Tesco delivery man every week ?

WOODMOUSE49 Mon 19-Aug-19 11:29:48

I don't read newspapers or read clips from newspapers that are shown here and facebook. I used to.

It shouldn't surprise me, but it still does, how many people believe what they read, especially the gossipy news and have no realisation that reporting news (or perhaps I should say some news) can be presented in a biased way.

I've also mainly given up reading the news/politics on GN too.

I do like watching our local news programme every night. Yes, there's news that saddens and angers me but most nights there is something to put a smile on my face.

I love a good book and wish I had more time to read them. Half way through Book of Dust at the moment. Started it at the beginning of the year smile.

We have sunshine today so I'm off out picking blackberries again.

annep1 Mon 19-Aug-19 11:32:12

Anniebach I wish I lived close. flowers

Anniebach Mon 19-Aug-19 11:33:51

I wish you did annepl I miss chat , ?

Esspee Mon 19-Aug-19 11:34:17

My OH is a news junkie. He gets really irate and does shout at the television quite a lot.
The day BJ became PM I switched the TV over to Allo Allo otherwise I fear he might have had a heart attack. It was lovely hearing him laugh instead.

annep1 Mon 19-Aug-19 11:49:58

Good idea Esspee. I insist on changing channels too. Its not good to get so worked up about things.

Fennel Mon 19-Aug-19 11:57:48

Espee my husband is like that too. Except we have the news on radio during breakfast.
I noticed that after breakfast he often had coughing fits - I thought the food had gone down the wrong way through shouting.
Eventually he agreed and sometimes we have a quiet breakfast.
They haven't got onto Epstein yet on the channels we get.

crazyH Mon 19-Aug-19 12:03:03

Anniebach ...flowers
Are you in Wales? pm me, perhaps we could meet up

Auntieflo Mon 19-Aug-19 12:12:15

I don't watch the news, DH gets it on line and usually watches at 6 and 10 pm. Then he will find a rolling news channel ?.
It all seems so depressing.

EllanVannin Mon 19-Aug-19 12:56:02

My late husband used to shout at the news on TV, the air would be quite blue at times too and I often think of his reactions at the news now. I'm almost certain it would have involved a resuscitation job for me to perform if he were still alive as he'd get so agitated and annoyed----things were quite tame years ago too compared to now.

EllanVannin Mon 19-Aug-19 12:57:47

Bad news sells papers ! Lighthearted, doesn't.

Squiffy Mon 19-Aug-19 12:59:34

Sadly true Ellan sad

MiniMoon Mon 19-Aug-19 13:13:16

I try to avoid it as much as possible too. The news only makes me either sad or angry, two emotions I can do without.

RosieLeah Mon 19-Aug-19 13:17:59

I stopped buying newspapers some time ago. They all try to be magazines. I don't want to read about 'celebs'...I want the honest facts about what is happening in the world.

On-line news is even worse. At the moment, all I'm getting is Hugh Jackman and Meghan Markle....not interested in either of them.

If anyone can recommend a newspaper which isn't having an identity crisis, I'm willing to actually buy a copy and give it a try.