I’m Bad at This, You’re Bad at This
Let’s get one thing straight: I’m not here to lecture you. I’ve been a senior editor for over 20 years, and even I can’t keep up with the news. It’s exhausting, it’s depressing, and honestly? It’s kinda hopeless.
I remember sitting in a conference in Austin back in 2018, listening to a panel of journalists talk about the ‘new media landscape’ (ugh, I know). One of them, let’s call him Marcus, said something that stuck with me: “We’re all drowning, and the news cycle is the ocean.” Which… yeah. Fair enough.
So, how do we stop drowning? Well, first, we admit we’re bad at this. All of us. Even the people who seem like they’ve got it figured out. They don’t. Trust me.
News Fatigue is Real
I talked to a colleague named Dave last Tuesday. He’s a reporter, been in the game for about 15 years. He told me, “I can’t even keep up with my own beat anymore. It’s too much.” And he’s not wrong. We’re bombarded with information, and it’s physicaly impossible to process it all.
I mean, think about it. You wake up, check your phone, and there are 87 new notifications. You scroll through, maybe read a headline or two, then you’re late for work. You spend your commute listening to the news, but you zone out halfway through because it’s all bad. You get to work, and your coworkers are talking about some scandal you’ve never heard of. You feel out of the loop, so you check your phone again. Rinse and repeat.
It’s a cycle, and it’s completley unsustainable. We’re not gonna fix it overnight, but we can make small changes. Baby steps, you know?
Curate Your News Diet
First things first: You don’t need to read every single article about every single thing. It’s okay to pick and choose. Find a few reliable sources, maybe a podcast or two, and stick with them. Quality over quantity, right?
I used to think I needed to read every word of every article. Then I realized that’s how people end up in doomscrolling spirals. So, I started being more selective. I check current events news summary in the morning, maybe read a couple of in-depth pieces during lunch, and that’s it. I don’t beat myself up if I miss something. It’s liberating, honestly.
And look, I’m not saying you should ignore everything else. But you gotta set boundaries. It’s like eating healthy – you can’t just eat salads all day, every day. You gotta have a cheat meal here and there. Same with news. It’s okay to take a break, to miss something. The world won’t end.
A Tangent: The Problem with Breaking News
Speaking of setting boundaries, let’s talk about breaking news alerts. They’re the worst. I turned mine off about three months ago, and it’s been a game-changer. (Okay, fine, I said I wouldn’t use that word. But it’s true.)
I was at a bar with friends last year, and my phone started buzzing like crazy. It was 11:30pm, and I’d gotten a breaking news alert. I looked at my phone, and it was about some political scandal. I showed it to my friends, and we all groaned. “Not again,” one of them said. “I can’t keep up with this stuff.” And she’s right. It’s too much.
So, do yourself a favor: Turn off those alerts. You’ll thank me later.
Talk to People
Here’s another thing: Talk to people. About the news, about current events, about whatever. It’s amazing how much you can learn from a simple conversation.
I have a friend named Lisa who’s a teacher. She’s always got her finger on the pulse of what’s going on. We’ll grab coffee at the place on 5th, and she’ll fill me in on what her students are talking about. It’s like a mini news briefing, but way more interesting.
So, find your Lisa. It could be a friend, a family member, a coworker. Someone who’s got their ear to the ground. Talk to them, listen to them, learn from them. It’s a simple thing, but it makes a big difference.
And hey, if you don’t have a Lisa, be the Lisa. Start conversations, ask questions, share what you know. You’ll be surprised at how much you can learn.
Final Thoughts (Kinda)
Look, I’m not gonna sit here and tell you I’ve got all the answers. I don’t. But I do know this: We’re all in this together. We’re all struggling to keep up, to make sense of it all. And that’s okay.
So, be kind to yourself. Take a break when you need to. Talk to people. Curate your news diet. And for the love of god, turn off those breaking news alerts.
That’s it. That’s all I’ve got. I’m gonna go take a walk, maybe check my phone one last time. (Old habits die hard, you know.)
About the Author: Jane Doe is a senior magazine editor with over 20 years of experience. She’s written for major publications, covered everything from politics to pop culture, and has a strong opinion on pretty much everything. She lives in New York with her cat, Mr. Whiskers, and spends her free time reading, writing, and complaining about the news.
