I find myself dramatically out of touch with the news. Oh, I’m fairly up-to-date on my little town, but other than that I have to admit that I do not really know what is going on.
It’s possible that I shouldn’t admit this. It’s not purposeful, although I do have good friends who for excellent reasons do not listen to any news at all.
We do not have cable, so no CNN, no FoxNews, no headlines keeping me up to the minute. I do not usually even have the local televised news on – there are things that are just too frightening for 2, 3 and 5 year olds to see and hear.
There’s no way I would watch the mainstream media on the national news. I think there is very little that they report without a huge bias. It’s ALLLLL spin. Who anchors now? I have no idea.
I am a former political junkie. Something has happened to me. While there’s no doubt I will vote, I just have no “fire in the belly” for it any longer. I don’t even get a chance to listen to talk radio. We used to have a three-hour date every afternoon.
I could get my news from an internet news source, but most of these can’t be read with a child hanging over my shoulder. The ads are bad, the linked stories are putrid, and even some of the conservative sites are over-sensationalized. I used to gather info from Foxnews, Drudge, WorldNetDaily, and RealClearPolitics. I still like the linked articles at RealClearPolitics, but some of the advertisements are less than wholesome.
I do read a lot. I think we can learn alot about our current world by learning about History. Studying Worldviews and Theologies give us a framework in which to file today’s conversations and events. I read about current topics and concerns, but it is usually in book format, which seems to me to be more complete and substantial.
But on current news? I’m behind. Sometimes, this probably isn’t good. I didn’t know that I could buy Forever stamps. I didn’t even know that postage was going up. I had never seen Miley Cyrus perform until last week.
But on the other hand, I find that I’m less fearful, less paranoid than in the days when I knew the full headlines. Every day, we pray and commit our days to God’s hand. We ask for His guidance in everything that will occur. We pray to love more. We pray for our town, this world, the hurting, the sick, and those who need Him. I do not live in constant fear of drought, or a coming food crisis, the housing market bust or the asteroid that came too close. It is not naivety, it is simply believing that all of these things are in His hand, and that we must keep doing the job that He has laid out before us, meeting needs as He brings them to us. Truthfully, there is not much we can do to keep the asteroid from hitting us; but there is much that we can do for the neighbor He brings across our path.
April 15, 2008 at 10:33 am |
I never was one for news but my husband used to be a news and politics junky. Now he is reading again but no longer obsessing. I get my news from libertarian political blogs, Cato Institute,places like that–which interesting enough do not have nasty ads. World News occasionally. I avoid “real” news sites because I can’t cope with it all. My husband tells me the stuff I need to know because he knows what it does to me. So I know where you are coming from. (Plus right now all the news sites are all about HIllary and Obama and Britney–you aren’t missing much.)
April 15, 2008 at 10:34 am |
AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!
It all goes back to, “What will I do with the information?”
For *most* of it, it is just *extra* to keep us stressed and preoccupied.
Rapid-fire thoughts, confusion, gossip, worry… none of these are from Father, but they are the usual result from news overload.
Don’t worry. Just keep studying History: Rome, Babylon, etc., and you’ll know everything about current events anyway.
April 15, 2008 at 10:35 am |
Amen, Holly. You put my feelings and thoughts into such elgoquent words. Thank you.
“The primary and shining grand purpose of our lives is that Christ might be magnified in us, that we might be the bearers of the life of Christ to the rest of the world.” – Elisabeth Elliot
God bless you as you bloom where He has placed you.
April 15, 2008 at 10:37 am |
Sorry, that should have been “eloquent”. I’m not sure what “elgoquent” words are, but they must be good if you said them!
April 15, 2008 at 10:38 am |
Ahhhhh, yes. I wholeheartedly agree. I’m so much more at peace not knowing the nitty gritty details. I know enough to pray and that is enough. Some don’t understand this, thinking that one needs to know everything. I pray more about the world and other’s issues now. When I was more up on the world’s affairs, I was full of worry and anxiety. There was no peace and I found myself worrying more and praying less. I am learning more and more to pray and then leave it at His feet. Then if He directs me to do something else to help those in need, I do.
I’m over tired and not articulating myself well here, but as for myself, this is another instance where less is more.
April 15, 2008 at 5:52 pm |
I’m with you on this! It is far too hard to try to get the pure unadulterated facts of what is going on out there, and when I fill my head with all that I worry and fret and feel yucky.
April 15, 2008 at 6:50 pm |
Uh…I’ve never seen Miley Cyrus perform.
I don’t even know who she is!
I am completely “out of it.” Who knew I’d see the day when my own mother was more “hip” (according to this world) than myself?!
And I have to say I am glad for it.
Mark has “instructions” to call/contact me in the event of a natural disaster of which I need to be aware immediately. Though that means things like the forever stamps fall through the cracks!
“It is not naivety, it is simply believing that all of these things are in His hand, and that we must keep doing the job that He has laid out before us, meeting needs as He brings them to us.”
~AMEN!
April 15, 2008 at 7:04 pm |
I like to have a physical paper but that’s not in our budget.
Jim does a good job at keeping me informed with what I need to know about in the general news.
Dog groups via yahoo keep me informed about dog legislation that I need to take action on.
A lady in church ensures that I get the town paper. Not that there’s much in it, but it helps.
And I can always get a newspaper from the lady down the street if I’m desperate…but if I get desperate I go on-line to read the news when J is otherwise involved with life.
April 15, 2008 at 7:42 pm |
It is so strange to me….
I just used to know EVERYTHING that was going on!
I don’t want to imply that I need to have my head in the sand, or even that I choose to. If I could have a straight news line that wasn’t sensationalized, I’d take that! (I need to e-mail you, Heather, and get a link….)
I just find that I have slowly come away from knowing every little detail.
I like the suggestion that my husband let me know when something big happens.
It is just so odd to be in conversation with your elderly parents, and not know what they are talking about!!!
(They love politics.) They’ll say…”What did you think about what Obama’s pastor said.”
And I think….”Obama has a pastor?”
Mom asks me….”Is such and such in style?”
And I blink several times. I just don’t know.
April 15, 2008 at 8:07 pm |
“Studying Worldviews and Theologies give us a framework in which to file today’s conversations and events. I read about current topics and concerns, but it is usually in book format, which seems to me to be more complete and substantial.”
Very well said, Holly! We sometimes order World Magazine to get a general overview of what’s going on – it tends to cover topcs that are of greater importance than the gossip columns that even once respectable news sources have become. I firmly believe that Americans just do not realize how much the biased media controls their thoughts – scary.
I had to laugh about your stamp comment – just this morning I had to stamp a letter and, surveying the assortment in our collection, had to ask my husband “Which one do I use?!”. Oh, and I do not know who Miley Cyrus is…..
April 15, 2008 at 11:11 pm |
Well, I’m right with you – behind as well. We don’t get cable and only have a TV for watching movies. Occasionally I’ll hear about BIG news but am very selective about where I get information on that particular story. You’re right, alot of it is oversensationalized.
April 16, 2008 at 12:21 am |
What? There’s news out there? Other than my child learning to drive his little John Deer tractor? Posh!
April 16, 2008 at 2:45 am |
I think there are times in life when you are interested and immersed in news and other times where you just don’t have the time or other things take precedent. I think that’s okay!
I love learning about what’s happening in the world, but I find that cnn, for example, often highlights very sensational stories, with little emphasis on what is happening in the rest of the world.
We get the Economist magazine and I love reading that bc it gives overviews of each major part of the world. Who knew about the economy of Iceland? I also like following the US candidates through this magazine too; there is more depth and less sensationalism than mainstream media.
In terms of bias, I believe it’s important to read a variety of sources. We like to get a more liberal news magazine one year, a more conservative perspective the next. By reading a variety of sources I feel less bothered by “media bias” bc you can see it happening on both sides.
And do I have to admit…my husband got me a subscription to US magazine this year. Uh…for those of you who don’t know what that is…well, it’s all about celebrity news. It’s plain fun for me…did you know that Miley Cyrus is not her real name?? Smiley was her nickname as a child and she shortened it to Miley. Important stuff, really!
April 16, 2008 at 6:11 am |
My email is all out of whack, so I wanted to let you know that I was able to pick up four G-Diapers (covers) for only $10 total, brand new. They’re size L, so fit 24-35 pounds, approx. Are you interested in them? Leave a comment on my blog because I don’t know when I’ll get the email working properly.
April 16, 2008 at 7:23 am |
Oh, I DID want to come back and say that our family really enjoys World Magazine. I don’t find that sensational. I just find that EXPENSIVE! Once our subscription is up I’m pretty sure we won’t be renewing it this year. That’s not because we don’t like it…
However, World still isn’t up to the minute, headlines. It’s more analysis, after the fact.
April 16, 2008 at 8:37 am |
I really like knowing what is happening in the world. We have several tv channels (no cable) but three out of the five like to tellyou about Mrs Bert’s budgie who went missing, and take five minutes to do so, one likes to blather on forever about local and national political views, and with a blatant left-wing bias, and the only channel that has excellent world news is screening it at 6.30pm, which, uh, is a time when I like to watch something that I will never confess to. It is my one rubbish show – we don’t watch much tv, lol!
I read a lot and catch snippets as I go.
April 16, 2008 at 8:56 am |
If you think about it for most of the last 6000 years, man has not been baraged with sensational news like we are now. Nothing drives me more crazy than seeing a chipper newscaster reporting some horrible disaster. Where did we ever get the idea that we were designed to monitor everything that goes on in this world. I think just focusing on the fact that God is in control and on serving where He wants you to is enough. Since we stopped listening to the news, we are not in a constant state of panic. It is so peaceful to start and end your days in prayer to the living God.
Joy
April 16, 2008 at 10:37 am |
Val,
Imagine if everything you watched or read was being watched or read over your shoulder by your school children.
Right.
You would be concerned about what they are seeing and hearing right along with you. For those of you who only have small children – your life changes once your children can READ and can understand what is being said.
It is not that I do not want to know what is going on in the world. It is very hard to do so with young eyes and ears around.
As a side product of that, though, I have found that now that it is absent from my life, I don’t miss it. I am less consumed by it. I am less paranoid. All of this surprises me, but I find the benefits!
April 16, 2008 at 1:13 pm |
hi Holly, just thougt I would let you know I”ve moved my blog to mytudorhouse.wordpress.com
April 16, 2008 at 1:40 pm |
I often think about what would change if I had a little one seeing what I do. I think you are very wise to censor your reading/viewing. (I was just saying what I do in a chatty manner!). Did you get withdrawals?! lol! For me, knowing what is going on and being able to talk about is important…..at the moment. I can imagine that will change when my priorities change. My husband is far less interested in the news….. he will quite happily go for days without watching.
One of the bad things about tv news is that everything is sensationalised. It is like watching an R rated movie sometimes. I have a big problem with that.
The best news coverage I have come across is the BBC news in England. Much better than ours, at any rate! They also have great talk-back radio, which, from memory, could even be suitable for younger ears. They cover and discuss lots of current issues, and I always enjoyed listening to that.
Interesting topic!
Wouldn’t it be great if there was a Reader’s Digest website covering the news, with nothing but the information? None of gory details and sensational coverage??
April 16, 2008 at 2:15 pm |
Hi Holly
Just popped over to say hello! From out discussion over a Molly’s place it seems we have a lot in common.
Peace
Dulce Domum
April 16, 2008 at 10:16 pm |
Hello, Dulce!
Thank you for stopping by.
I realize that another thing I’ve stepped away from is caring all that much about what is going on in the blog world! Wow! I have changed!
April 16, 2008 at 10:38 pm |
I find it refreshing to take long breaks from the news. There is so much doom, gloom, and panic all of the time. News in the U.S. is just horrid in that. Watching or listening to the news is an exercise in depression. It is so rare to come across a story that is inspiring or motivates people to help those around them.
When I need a break from the news stuff, I listen to my local Christian radio show in the afternoon. There is an hour of news/politics/current events talk, which I can skip if I want. Then there is a 3 hour block of edifying Christian conversation. It may not always keep me 100% fresh on the news, but it helps me to have conversation starters for when my husband gets home. Otherwise, we tend to just kind of stare at each other after listing the things that we’ve done during the day. *laughs*