Before I get on to today's topic - I watched the Lionesses and their match against the host team Australia this morning (our time). Absolutely gripping, brilliant play, no nastiness at the end such sportsmanship from the Australian team when England won. Very impressive.
Are you still watching The News on television (or listening on radio)? So many people I know - both 'in the flesh' and from my blog - have stopped watching long ago after becoming disenchanted with it.
It was a family tradition (I am speaking now about after World War Two because during the war I think everyone sat round their radios and listened to every bit of news they could get.) I have always carried on with that tradition but sometimes I am sorely tempted to stop doing so. I usually switch on Breakfast television when I get up and turn it off when my carer opens the front door and shouts 'Good Morning' on the stroke of 7am.
So my usual watch is either over my lunch at 1pm or, more usually 6pm. And always BBC1 - I only rarely watch ITV.
But I do get very annoyed - and disillusioned- with it. A dramatic - and sensational - usually appalling headline piece will be followed by lesser stories as the reader 'goes down the line.' Some of the recent ones have been:
the wild fires in Hawaii.
the wild fires on Rhodes.
the Junior Doctors strike.
Some of the less recent ones have been:
the war in the Ukraine.
the strikes on British Rail.
and even less recent:
the earthquake on the Turkish/Syria border.
For a couple of days these stories are well publicised and then miraculously disappear as either 'cured' or 'no longer worth mentioning'.
Life just isn't like that. Are children still starving to death in places like Yemen - or has manna miraculously appeared from the skies? Could we at the very least have an update please? You could always take off some fatuous piece abour some minor Royal, or some fashion model. And are less people dying in the terrible conflict in Ukraine, or isn't it worthy of headline news any longer?
And have clean up operations after the Turkey and Syria earthquake suddenly taken a turn for the better? I doubt it. Judging from seeing the images on Simon Raven's recent series on The Mediterranean the buildings destroyed in the conflict in Libya many years ago. are still raized to the ground. And judging from the plight of many North African refugees/illegal immigrants earning a pittance in the huge plastic greenhouses in Spain - where once the plastic wears out it is literally thrown into a spot where when the rains come it will all be washed down into the Med as plastic waste - and incidentally those same migrants, aswell as earning a pittance are housed in awful conditions. (and please don't say they should go back across the Med to where they came from because one of them said when asked why they didn't try to go back - their culture would deem it such a disgrace for them to go back - they would lose face.)
I just ask because the desperate plight of human beings in all these situations - and I won't even mention the plight of women and indeed some men in places like Afghanistan- haven't gone away. It just isn't deemed sensational, headline news any more.
If I am sleeping badly, which I often do, I switch on to 231 and watch 24 hour News from the BBC - even at 3am we get long reports but rarely on any of these topics. They're not News any more, just news and as such swept under that giant carpet of things not "newsworthy" enough to merit a mention.
And still I watch - like a lemming - hell bent on destruction.
Any suggestions? Do you still watch?
JOHN (Stargoose) Thank you so much for pointing my error out. 'Gamesmanship' was indeed entirely the wrong word to use. On looking it up in my Chambers I see - as you hint at in your suggestion - that Gamesmanship is not a very flattering word and gave entirely the wrong picture of the behaviour of the Australian players' reaction.
.JPG)
28 comments:
I am so impressed by our womens' football team but find watching matches too nerve-wracking! It will be marvellous if they win the trophy.
I watch the breakfast headlines at 8am and then nothing more. I find it quite worrying that we never seem to get any news about what is going on here in the UK apart from murders, strikes and suchlike. We never hear about what is going on in the government with regard to climate change, improving the country's road surfaces, the NHS, and other important issues. Can it be that nothing is being done about any of our home problems?
NOpe... don't watch... haven't for a few years now... My daughter is much more in the know.. and tends to let me know anything pertinent. She can't help herself... lol The world will go on whether i watch the news or not.. Much less stress this way.. I do catch a few headlines on my phone so i know about the fires on Maui .. terrible.. then you hear reports of developers already trying to buy the property from them... how true is that.. There is no one to believe anymore.. so why watch.. I watched years ago before Covid ... before Trump .. when i still had faith in the news.. Hugs! debs
Oh, am we ever in sync regarding the topic of news reporting! You have expressed my feelings precisely. I try diligently to wean myself off of TV news only to slowly creep back on. It's narcotic. This morning I've specifically searched for a few cartoons to cheer myself up a bit. Take care Weave. Hugs from the base of the mini-mountain in Maine. Regina
No, I no longer watch as they all repeat the same bogus information. They are controlled by the practicing government party and are afraid to ask the questions everyone wants to have asked. There is no true journalism anymore, either, as they dare not have an opinion or inquire about certain issues. Sadly, I can still learn about enough news almost accidentally and that is more than enough. I am only interested in the weather and even that has become even more unpredictable despite all of the equipment they have available, so not very reliable, even for a day ahead. Ranee (MN) USA
I have often said the same thing to my husband. What happened to the Robina, for example? They are no longer mentioned. And yet the silliest story about Barbie gets top billing. We don't watch news, we listen to the radio. So it is perhaps a little better, but not much. I often leave it off for days on end, or only listen for a short while.
What is far more interesting to me is the Facebook group View From YOUR Window. People from all over the world share their daily view, no politics, and not always a pretty sight. But real people sharing their view, the friendliness just makes me feel better about this world. Tbese are eople from Ukraine, Pakistan, Kenya, etc, as well as from my own state. I much prefer this kind of "news".
The news on constant repeat and not really covering important subjects is disappointing. I hear most people, including me, are not watching the news. Newscasters know there is a problem with lack of viewers. Most say they are solving the problem. I see no progress nor improvement.
I always thought there ought to be a short section of the TV or radio news devoted to follow-up news from places which the normal news has forgotten about. I don't like to quibble but I think you mean "sportsmanship" (or perhaps "sportspersonship"!). "Gamesmanship" is quite the opposite thing.
We stream now, and do not get live television, but we follow the news. My complaint with the media is the attention paid to celebrities at the cost of 'real' news. I do not care that Oprah Winfrey went to Maui and her camera crew was not permitted to enter the shelter. I do not care what Meghan and Harry are up to. I could give a rat's behind that Caitlin Jenner thinks that tRUMP is a stand up guy who is being unfairly persecuted (and a side question: what makes her opinion any more news worthy than my own?) You are right that the news is tailered to what boosts ratings as opposed to what is going on in the world.
When cable news became a thing, we decided one cycle would be enough at midday and then after supper. Then can streaming and You Tube, so we watch when we choose to and quit watching when enough is enough.
Currently there is an interesting You Tube documentary about M.C. Escher with film of him making those amazing wood cuts. We have run a cable from DH's laptop to our smart TV, so an watch You Tube on the TV and that's helpful for old eyes!
Hugs!
I no longer watch news broadcasts as I cannot abide the sensationalism the majority of news readers employ on their broadcasts. I read several newspapers each day (from both sides of the Atlantic), believe I am well-informed, and an added benefit is that I do not waste my time with "celebrity news". I would like to see/read more follow-up reports as you & John both mentioned. The chase for ratings by broadcast news organizations is wearying and at the end of the day, are we really any better informed than we were 50 years ago?
I never miss the 6.00pm national news on BBC, followed by the local news, rarely at any other time of day and never on ITV. Occassionally through the day I will look at the news on my laptop. I like to think that at my age I'm too long in the tooth to be sucked in by rubbish news and can sort the wheat from the chaff.
Some news does lose it's urgency quite quickly, just a couple of weeks ago, somebody was suggesting a new Covid strain was imminent and was hesitant about going out, that appears to have changed.
I have my faithful Guardian online plus the New York Times. I listen to radio 4, amongst the talks and documentaries you can pick up on news around the world, especially on the World news at night.
I switched off from our countries news because the government is so bad. Just a continuous bickering of nonsense. But I think it is important to be aware of what is happening in the world.
Nope, no more “news” watching for me. I try and as soon as Trump, Trudeau, Harry or some movie person comes on, I turn it off, so no news for me! I have seen the fire devastation in Hawaii and oprah pushing herself in so turned it off. I wonder what is wrong with GOOD positive news.
I get a newsletter from the New York Times in my email box each morning and I like that. I get short summaries on many different events and topics from around the world and I can always google for more info if I am curious about a specific news item.
I agree that much of the "news" that is presented on TV is a waste of time and covers trivial events. I think often "they" are trying to distract us from the real problems and disasters happening across the globe.
No, it is simply too depressing to watch. Not only that, it's hard to find a channel that is reporting "factual" news without a particular slant. Most seem to be reporting through a biased screen and even if you watch two with diametrically varying positions it's difficult to decide where the reality lies. I figure that it will all come out in the wash and what I think either way will have no bearing on the outcome. The run-up to the US election is particularly worrisome and I am concerned that if the two front runners succeed in the primaries I may be forced to just not vote at all----first time in 58 years for me.
Derek I understamd that there is a new Covid strain - at the moment there is a lot of it about up here/ My invalid daughter in law carries a card saying she has to go into hospital immediately if it is suspected she has Covid, so they are very careful and wear a mask when they are out and about. JOHN - thank you for pointing that out when I have read the comments I shall go back and have a read of what I wrote.
What truths there are in your comments. Thank you so much for them.
You are absolutely right about the way BBC News (and other channels) select content for effect. One other thing that annoys me about BBC News is when they include a long report that is basically an advert for a programme on later in the day.
I do watch the news, but I prefer ceefax (if that is what it is still called) because there are no over-emoting newsreaders and no interviews with random people in shopping centres who have been ambushed by the reporter, just the bare bones of the stories.
There are many channels showing through the small hours. Why not spend a while with a Radio Times going through their schedules in advance, so you can watch something a bit less depressing?
Good post. In the morning I go online. I read your blog first,(wonderful) then our state paper(disappointing) the Guardian,(much better) . It's a routine I've become accustomed to, to start the day.
If I wake in the night or early hours, I listen to the BBC for world coverage.
It's said our state paper The Advertiser aims for an average reading age of 10 yrs, and I believe that.
I used to enjoy the hefty weekend papers, particularly in the U.S, when I lived for short periods overseas and prefer to read the news rather than watch it. - Pam, Sth Aust.
For some reason, I wallowed in the news during the covid lockdowns. Somehow it made me feel reassured. Today's news makes me angry, but I still listen to it. Somehow I feel we have to. I still look for escapism though, but that is getting quite scarce.
I think news reports are opinions, not news. That's why it changes so rapidly. I don't listen to "news reports" any more; I read what I care to on the internet.
I watched about the first 10 mins of the game, then later just the final few seconds. I do hope we send a few 'dignitaries' to the final on Sunday (?), they deserve to be recognised. I would like to see Rishi, Beckham, and maybe Prince William, all in some special box together.
As for The News, I hardly bother these days; not unlike those at the BBC.
Several times since I have started reading your blog you have mentioned that you want to stop watching the news, but you keep returning to them. And why shouldn't you? You are intelligent and old enough to know what you want, and act accordingly.
The problem with news programs is that there is simply too much going on all the time. Anyone who is capable of critical thinking knows that something that has disappeared from the news has not really disappeared, but merely been replaced by another topic. The 15 minutes or so that the main news on German state TV last are simply too short to cover everything all the time, and so those topics are chosen which the editors think will be most important and/or interesting to the average audience (which for German state TV is supposed to be the age bracket of 60+). Therefore, reports of what our politicians are up to, the war in Ukraine and the situation of refugees and immigrants in Germany are usually followed by some sports item, and often the last bit before the weather forecast is about the death of an actor or other artist who was well known and popular in their day (in this country).
For me, it is important to have a general idea of what's happening in the world and in my country, but also important to get local news. For that, I have a newsletter issued by my hometown's administration.
Librarian makes some sensible comments about the news.
I'm always amused when various people jump on the "I've stopped watching the news" bandwagon and yet they always seem well informed about the news - perhaps listening to it or reading about it, is different.
Derk - I have all the time in the world so can both read and listen as I choose. I know that, like me, you live alone. The huge difference is that you can go out whenever you choose - day or night (I would have gone out to watch the meteor showers last weekend if I could still walk, and if I had still had my car. As it is I only go out when somebody takes me out.. But whether one reads or listens to the news is always a choice - especially when one lives alone (two in a household is always a matter of negotiation). I don't jump on any bandwagons. That is one of the perks of living alone. I have my own wagon and it suits me just fine - no negotiation needed. (the 'horse that pulls my wagon is by now a very old nag - but she keeps on going!)
Librarian - here our BBC News is half an hour long and then another half hour of local News - this is sometimes a quarter of an hour but never less
Tom - I would think that you could stand at your window for escapism - you must have a view living where you do.
Many thanks to you all. I have obviously hit a sore spot with everyone. It is tempting to hide one's head under a blanket sometimes but we are on the whole an intelligent lot (or some might call us plain nosey) and we can't resist the urge to know what is going on. And that's the root of the trouble - we can only listen/read what THEY choose to put out there in the first place.
Pat, I wasn't suggesting that you are a bandwagon type, you've made it clear that you still like to watch the news, as do I, my ire was aimed at those that see one person say something and immediately follow suit.
I did go out to see the meteor shower but it was too cloudy to see anything. We watched one many years ago on a very dark night from the deck of our boat in Grenada and it did not disappoint. It just kept going on and on. Oh well, maybe next time.
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