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Good News is No News



1066familyman

Radio User
Jan 15, 2008
15,185
Interesting programme on Radio 4 that pretty much sums up how I've felt about the news for a lot of years now. Having kids has only sharpened this feeling as I find myself constantly switching news programmes off when the kids are around (one quote from the programme - "news almost carries an 18 certificate these days").

I find myself feeling better too if I can switch off from the unending negative news agenda and just press the off button. I know this can seem a bit like the ostrich approach, but until the mainstream media starts adopting a more balanced approach that includes positive stories I think I'm going to be switching off more and more.

Anyone else feel the same way?

Programme here btw: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b051r7j4
 

Bombadier Botty

Complete Twaddle
Jun 2, 2008
3,258
Agree completely and I swiched the radio off today because I couldnt listen to any more child abuse stories. News is proven to be detrimental to people's mental state and they say that if you are susceptible to low mood/depression then it's a good idea to give the news a swerve. Difficult one.
 

Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Licker Extraordinaire
Jul 11, 2003
73,270
West west west Sussex
I'm not taking the piss here, but Newsround is pretty much my go to TV news, for that reason.
Even though I do have to stop the kids from channel hoping when the theme tune starts.

Sure I'll BBC and broadsheet my way round the t'internet.
Plus The Daily Show and Later with John Oliver as criminally that style of current affairs reporting isn't available here.

But I gave up the BBC and Chl4 nightly news a long time ago.
Obviously ITV's news output isn't worth the electricity it costs to watch.
 

Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
55,530
Back in Sussex
Very much so.

I made the mistake of reading a BBC article about the rape situation in India a day or two back and aspects of it keep coming back to me, and I really do not like the news coming on the radio when the kids are travelling in the car.
 


Mackenzie

Old Brightonian
Nov 7, 2003
33,498
East Wales
Very much so.

I made the mistake of reading a BBC article about the rape situation in India a day or two back and aspects of it keep coming back to me, and I really do not like the news coming on the radio when the kids are travelling in the car.
Very much this. Every news item seems to be beheadings, murder and child abuse at the moment. I'm not comfortable with my children having to listen to that.

The news will be switched off from now on.
 

Stat Brother

Well-known member
NSC Licker Extraordinaire
Jul 11, 2003
73,270
West west west Sussex
I imagine news reporting now looks very different to the news of 5-10 years ago.
It now seems a lot more speculative with a fair degree of 'tabloidation' and bias.

I feel back in 'the good old days' it was just factual news and would look very dull by comparison to now.
 

1066familyman

Radio User
Jan 15, 2008
15,185
Glad I'm not alone in my feelings towards the news agenda and exposing my kids to it. There's a balance to be struck here if kids are to grow up rounded and well informed, and the drip drip effect of what amounts to constant horror stories isn't doing the balance any good I feel. And for young kids in particular, I just don't think they need to be hearing the horror stories on the news at all really.

As for evidence of over exposure to negative news exacerbating depression. Having had more visits than I care to remember from the old 'black dog' over the years I've learnt to keep well away from the news when things look like taking a turn for the worse. In my experience - 100% proven link.
 


W.C.

New member
Oct 31, 2011
4,927
In many ways we are incredibly lucky, living in some of the safest countries in the world in the safest times, but if you ask most people they seem to think things are getting worse.
The way we get our news these days is surely a part of that feeling.
 

NooBHA

Well-known member
Jan 13, 2015
8,584
Very much so.

I made the mistake of reading a BBC article about the rape situation in India a day or two back and aspects of it keep coming back to me, and I really do not like the news coming on the radio when the kids are travelling in the car.

You might find that the kids have an auto switch off or an auto mute button relating to the news on TV or radio. If I think back to when I was young, the news was always on in our house but I remember totally switching off mentally after Scooby Doo had finished and didn't switch back on until Top of the Pops or a cowboy film came on. Rarely do I recall picking up on or enjoying news programmes until I got a bit older.
 

KZNSeagull

Well-known member
Nov 26, 2007
19,671
Wolsingham, County Durham
Agreed. I don't watch the news very often now and when I do I find that it is so poorly done that it is just scaremongering (Sky News particularly - their appalling coverage of immigration targets yesterday is a good example).

Whilst the internet social media etc means that everyone is better informed and the news outlets have to keep up with that, I sometimes wonder if we were better off being less informed in certain circumstances! For example, exposing massive corruption and paedophile rings is a very good thing obviously, but do we all really need to know who Jihadi John is and where his family lives/been moved to? It is the age old problem I suppose, how much does the general public really need to know? Cue tin hat brigade.
 


bluenitsuj

Listen to me!!!
Feb 26, 2011
4,280
Willingdon
Never watch the news anymore. Just pick up what I hear on the radio at work and it is always the same story repeated all day
 

Skaville

Well-known member
Jun 10, 2004
10,091
Queens Park
Totally agree. I lived in Oz a while back and the contrast in their news reporting was stark. Only five minutes of misery, then a swift jump to positivity. If they lost in a sporting event they glossed over it, preferring to concentrate on their victories. It was all rather refreshing (if a bit lightweight)
 

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