This is an email I sent to a (now deceased) wonderful traditionally-liberal Democrat man I'd met crewing on a Tall Ship, back in 2015. He was deeply fearful of a Trump Presidency. Echoes your guys' points in today's piece.:
His previous email:
And nice to talk to actual adults that you knew as kids. All 3 girls grew up well
Me:
That is indeed true and deeply satisfying. Something about seeing my two oldest married (and married to terrific people) just makes you step back and go "Wow.". And, my youngest (girl) is solid, so while I suspect she won't get married for quite a while, if ever, I'm not real worried about her. I look fwd to grandkids at some point. Then I won't feel so bad about the old man I see the pix of myself!
One thing this election made me realize is that I live in one of the pockets of deep deep blue, and that most of the country does not. That my area is an incredibly deep and narrow echo chamber. That the only competing voices are those becoming ever-shriller in order to stand out and advance. That reason, or common sense (or common decency to those who disagree) is nearly-vanished. Instead what we have is evermore anger, shrillness and demonization. (Remember, the first thing one does in a war is dehumanize the enemy...."The Hun"..."The Jap"....kinda hard to kill someone who you see as some mother's son....and that's how I feel as a non-Dem in a deep-blue zone...why this is unseen and does not give pause to so many of my nice liberal friends is intellectually interesting yet also scary to this libertarian boy....history and all that....).
What I see with my liberal neighbors, because of this non-stop cacophony of bitterness and "those evil people are winning" is a form of PTSD, or battle fatigue or whatever. People are constantly on war footing mentally. They are on alert 24/7 for the latest attack from "them". This can only go on so long without deep psychic costs and damage.
But, it sells. So the media will provide it. And I mean left and right, but IMHO the left dominates and lefties consume more "news". In reality tho, it's not news; people are just getting their indignation fix; moral superiority fix; feeling part of a tribe fix; NPR-makes-me-feel-erudite fix; whatever. Again, lefties and righties.
So, my advice to people when I hear them get weary and down, as I hear with you, is "turn it off". Walk. It's hard. It's part of our routine. We feel part of something bigger reading/seeing/listening to a certain flavor of product,er, news. Go home from the front for a while. The war will still rage without you. You weren't "making a difference" by reading the NYT or listening to NPR. Or Rush Limbaugh. You won't be any less informed. You won't be any less a good citizen. But, you'll be happier. You'll see the world differently. You'll come to value other things again. Maybe see other sides of your neighbor who is not part of your tribe, and realize you can build a relationship with him based on those things.
I know of which I speak. Living in deep blue land, I thought for sure Hillary was gonna win. So, 9 mos ago, I stopped watching Brett Baier's show (they HATED Trump...); I cancelled the weekday WSJ (they hated Trump). And.....I missed it all immensely at first.....and then I didn't. And, I'm happier. I'm still immensely well-informed. Better than 99.9% of people, esp reporters. The only thing I cannot tell you is the latest "outrage" (by Trump or Obama or Hillary or a Kardashian...)....and that's a wonderful thing because in a week that "outrage" will be forgotten and replaced by the next one. (Gotta sell that airtime ya know). Except, in the interim, I wasn't outraged. I wasn't enraged, or threatened or scared. Or hating on 'the other'. I enjoyed the week between outrages. And missed nothing.
My Ex brother in law is so angry (he's conservative) that he's alienating his wife (who agrees with him.). My liberal Jewish female atty friend truly thinks Trump is gonna bring back the ovens. What the F*ck are we doing to ourselves?? Let's all just walk away for a while, shall we?
To paraphrase that old '60's witticism, "What if the media threw a culture war and no one came?" : )
Merry Christmas to you and yours. For a commie, you're OK..... ; )
The rise of the 24 hr news cycle is dangerous. Has gone from same loop of latest news to inflammatory "news" spin. Internet has democratized information, but also highly fragmented it. Even as a libertarian type, I almost think a return to 3 networks and regulated content might be better. Time will tell. Big experiment here....
I tend to go the other way. I find myself more & more trending to localization. Small local organizations & decision making capacity loosely organized into networks. I believe this, because in a network, if one node goes bad, everyone simply goes around. I think that this is the natural way, and with out centralized forces enforcing the narratives this is what we would have.
What I observe is that for those who want to capture the debate, the fewer people / organizations they have to capture, the more successful they are. They don't really care how they capture the debate, only that they do. As such, intimidation, bribes, gaslighting, brainwashing, censorship, etc. are all means to the end, and how they get there does not matter.
I wish I could feel more sympathetic towards journalists that are not getting a “ break” over the summer. I know there are plenty of good people out there who are trying to make a living in this field. However, many lies have been told and many important stories have been silenced by the legacy media and these very same journalists . At this point it is very hard to value mainstream journalism, or to feel compassionate towards those who have put “clicks and likes” above simply relaying reality and the truth to readers and viewers. Sadly, no one in western society got a “ break” over the summer either. It is the average person bombarded by “news” that I feel most sorry for.
The 24/7 news cycle makes journalism even more competitive now than when I was a reporter for Toronto dailies. Most big news rooms have online jumbotrons so reporters can instantly see reactions to their their stories and if their stories are trending. Editors also value reporters on the number of clicks they get so the temptation to recycle outrage and sensationalism is hard to resist. Far harder than my day when tabloid journalism was a style only a few newspapers specialized in. Now pretty much everybody does tabloid journalism. The price of this is that readers get a distorted catastrophic view of the world streaming in from hundreds of online platforms and print publications.
The 'break' is taking care of itself. Most people no longer buy the product, so the vendors are going out of business fast. After all the vendors are closed, people will be free of journalism.
For twenty years I made a living as a professional journalist, and was disappointed to see the tone of persistent grievance and catastrophe overtaking Lean Out just as it has the legacy media which relies on outrage as a strategy to attract eyeballs. When a country has problems, it’s broken; when authentic political candidates like Kamala Harris and Tim Walz emerge, (candidates with no dark scandals in their closet), these candidates are still covered as if they have serious flaws and their campaigns are likely headed for disaster. Of course every candidate has some flaws—they’re human. But do their flaws mean they can’t do a good job of running a country? Outrage as a style of daily coverage is boring. It’s not only that readers need hope and dignity, which, of course they do – it’s because constantly serving up dystopian perspectives about our democracies isn’t the truth either. For a grounded perspective, read today’s Lean Out as well as columns this week end by respected American historian, Heather Cox Richardson, and Washington Post journalist, Jennifer Rubin.
We picked up a real paper newspaper today for the drive home after visiting my hometown for the weekend. The Winnipeg Free Press is pretty much as it always has been. It wasn't "relentless, depressing, and boring" exactly, but more "reliably present, emotionally neutral and... boring" as papers should be. We read a few articles, did the crossword, laughed at a few cartoons, then we were home.
I'd suggest journos take a breath, do some interesting work and go home to your families. It's a job not the end times.
Just for example, there was an article about sex workers and whether the City will regulate them. It canvassed the regs possible, the law, city people, police and folks in the trade. It didn't advocate. It didn't try to provoke or stir up. Just the facts mam.
Maybe the answer/relief we're all looking for is in the paper, the actual physical thing.
My perspective is that the shift to women dominating so much of education outcomes and positions of power and influence, especially in journalism and media (marketing and HR too) has created this shift where collectivist attraction has replaced the more common male trait of independence.
I think it is evolutionary and biological. Frankly we are not that far removed from our primitive tribal existence... those behaviors are still baked in despite our living in a modern high-tech world.
So I agree completely. Break away. Get away. Get out and see the world. Start thinking of yourself of not needing the love and validation of the tribal herd, but to forge an independent identity of someone that calls it like it is... someone that writes what might be at conflict with the adopted narrative and thus risks being cast out of the high status collective that demands fealty to a common set of ideas.
This is a difficult thing for many because there is a natural instinct to seek group acceptance. It is really a developmental challenge... a way to transcend primitive impulses to become a better-functioning human.
A read and overview of current “worldly” events once a week is sufficient to maintain an idea or overview of what’s happening! We need to be aware and cognizant of issues…but not on a daily morning, noon and night basis!! Might also add….ensure your info comes from EpochTimes or similar - NOT MSM!!
This is an email I sent to a (now deceased) wonderful traditionally-liberal Democrat man I'd met crewing on a Tall Ship, back in 2015. He was deeply fearful of a Trump Presidency. Echoes your guys' points in today's piece.:
His previous email:
And nice to talk to actual adults that you knew as kids. All 3 girls grew up well
Me:
That is indeed true and deeply satisfying. Something about seeing my two oldest married (and married to terrific people) just makes you step back and go "Wow.". And, my youngest (girl) is solid, so while I suspect she won't get married for quite a while, if ever, I'm not real worried about her. I look fwd to grandkids at some point. Then I won't feel so bad about the old man I see the pix of myself!
One thing this election made me realize is that I live in one of the pockets of deep deep blue, and that most of the country does not. That my area is an incredibly deep and narrow echo chamber. That the only competing voices are those becoming ever-shriller in order to stand out and advance. That reason, or common sense (or common decency to those who disagree) is nearly-vanished. Instead what we have is evermore anger, shrillness and demonization. (Remember, the first thing one does in a war is dehumanize the enemy...."The Hun"..."The Jap"....kinda hard to kill someone who you see as some mother's son....and that's how I feel as a non-Dem in a deep-blue zone...why this is unseen and does not give pause to so many of my nice liberal friends is intellectually interesting yet also scary to this libertarian boy....history and all that....).
What I see with my liberal neighbors, because of this non-stop cacophony of bitterness and "those evil people are winning" is a form of PTSD, or battle fatigue or whatever. People are constantly on war footing mentally. They are on alert 24/7 for the latest attack from "them". This can only go on so long without deep psychic costs and damage.
But, it sells. So the media will provide it. And I mean left and right, but IMHO the left dominates and lefties consume more "news". In reality tho, it's not news; people are just getting their indignation fix; moral superiority fix; feeling part of a tribe fix; NPR-makes-me-feel-erudite fix; whatever. Again, lefties and righties.
So, my advice to people when I hear them get weary and down, as I hear with you, is "turn it off". Walk. It's hard. It's part of our routine. We feel part of something bigger reading/seeing/listening to a certain flavor of product,er, news. Go home from the front for a while. The war will still rage without you. You weren't "making a difference" by reading the NYT or listening to NPR. Or Rush Limbaugh. You won't be any less informed. You won't be any less a good citizen. But, you'll be happier. You'll see the world differently. You'll come to value other things again. Maybe see other sides of your neighbor who is not part of your tribe, and realize you can build a relationship with him based on those things.
I know of which I speak. Living in deep blue land, I thought for sure Hillary was gonna win. So, 9 mos ago, I stopped watching Brett Baier's show (they HATED Trump...); I cancelled the weekday WSJ (they hated Trump). And.....I missed it all immensely at first.....and then I didn't. And, I'm happier. I'm still immensely well-informed. Better than 99.9% of people, esp reporters. The only thing I cannot tell you is the latest "outrage" (by Trump or Obama or Hillary or a Kardashian...)....and that's a wonderful thing because in a week that "outrage" will be forgotten and replaced by the next one. (Gotta sell that airtime ya know). Except, in the interim, I wasn't outraged. I wasn't enraged, or threatened or scared. Or hating on 'the other'. I enjoyed the week between outrages. And missed nothing.
My Ex brother in law is so angry (he's conservative) that he's alienating his wife (who agrees with him.). My liberal Jewish female atty friend truly thinks Trump is gonna bring back the ovens. What the F*ck are we doing to ourselves?? Let's all just walk away for a while, shall we?
To paraphrase that old '60's witticism, "What if the media threw a culture war and no one came?" : )
Merry Christmas to you and yours. For a commie, you're OK..... ; )
Very true. It is a winner take all in environment, where any one who sees the world differently is "#%XS%#*" (insert your favorite dictator)
Exactly.
The rise of the 24 hr news cycle is dangerous. Has gone from same loop of latest news to inflammatory "news" spin. Internet has democratized information, but also highly fragmented it. Even as a libertarian type, I almost think a return to 3 networks and regulated content might be better. Time will tell. Big experiment here....
I tend to go the other way. I find myself more & more trending to localization. Small local organizations & decision making capacity loosely organized into networks. I believe this, because in a network, if one node goes bad, everyone simply goes around. I think that this is the natural way, and with out centralized forces enforcing the narratives this is what we would have.
What I observe is that for those who want to capture the debate, the fewer people / organizations they have to capture, the more successful they are. They don't really care how they capture the debate, only that they do. As such, intimidation, bribes, gaslighting, brainwashing, censorship, etc. are all means to the end, and how they get there does not matter.
Boy, does that hit a nerve!! Great comments.
I wish I could feel more sympathetic towards journalists that are not getting a “ break” over the summer. I know there are plenty of good people out there who are trying to make a living in this field. However, many lies have been told and many important stories have been silenced by the legacy media and these very same journalists . At this point it is very hard to value mainstream journalism, or to feel compassionate towards those who have put “clicks and likes” above simply relaying reality and the truth to readers and viewers. Sadly, no one in western society got a “ break” over the summer either. It is the average person bombarded by “news” that I feel most sorry for.
"There is only one way to happiness, and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will." ~Epictetus
The 24/7 news cycle makes journalism even more competitive now than when I was a reporter for Toronto dailies. Most big news rooms have online jumbotrons so reporters can instantly see reactions to their their stories and if their stories are trending. Editors also value reporters on the number of clicks they get so the temptation to recycle outrage and sensationalism is hard to resist. Far harder than my day when tabloid journalism was a style only a few newspapers specialized in. Now pretty much everybody does tabloid journalism. The price of this is that readers get a distorted catastrophic view of the world streaming in from hundreds of online platforms and print publications.
The 'break' is taking care of itself. Most people no longer buy the product, so the vendors are going out of business fast. After all the vendors are closed, people will be free of journalism.
Very interesting point! I had not thought of THE SOURCE of all the chaos underlying “ THE NEWS”
as being desperately in need of some quiet serenity and balance .
For twenty years I made a living as a professional journalist, and was disappointed to see the tone of persistent grievance and catastrophe overtaking Lean Out just as it has the legacy media which relies on outrage as a strategy to attract eyeballs. When a country has problems, it’s broken; when authentic political candidates like Kamala Harris and Tim Walz emerge, (candidates with no dark scandals in their closet), these candidates are still covered as if they have serious flaws and their campaigns are likely headed for disaster. Of course every candidate has some flaws—they’re human. But do their flaws mean they can’t do a good job of running a country? Outrage as a style of daily coverage is boring. It’s not only that readers need hope and dignity, which, of course they do – it’s because constantly serving up dystopian perspectives about our democracies isn’t the truth either. For a grounded perspective, read today’s Lean Out as well as columns this week end by respected American historian, Heather Cox Richardson, and Washington Post journalist, Jennifer Rubin.
We picked up a real paper newspaper today for the drive home after visiting my hometown for the weekend. The Winnipeg Free Press is pretty much as it always has been. It wasn't "relentless, depressing, and boring" exactly, but more "reliably present, emotionally neutral and... boring" as papers should be. We read a few articles, did the crossword, laughed at a few cartoons, then we were home.
I'd suggest journos take a breath, do some interesting work and go home to your families. It's a job not the end times.
Just for example, there was an article about sex workers and whether the City will regulate them. It canvassed the regs possible, the law, city people, police and folks in the trade. It didn't advocate. It didn't try to provoke or stir up. Just the facts mam.
Maybe the answer/relief we're all looking for is in the paper, the actual physical thing.
"The End Times". Haha. There's a cartoon in that maybe. 😂
My perspective is that the shift to women dominating so much of education outcomes and positions of power and influence, especially in journalism and media (marketing and HR too) has created this shift where collectivist attraction has replaced the more common male trait of independence.
I think it is evolutionary and biological. Frankly we are not that far removed from our primitive tribal existence... those behaviors are still baked in despite our living in a modern high-tech world.
So I agree completely. Break away. Get away. Get out and see the world. Start thinking of yourself of not needing the love and validation of the tribal herd, but to forge an independent identity of someone that calls it like it is... someone that writes what might be at conflict with the adopted narrative and thus risks being cast out of the high status collective that demands fealty to a common set of ideas.
This is a difficult thing for many because there is a natural instinct to seek group acceptance. It is really a developmental challenge... a way to transcend primitive impulses to become a better-functioning human.
A read and overview of current “worldly” events once a week is sufficient to maintain an idea or overview of what’s happening! We need to be aware and cognizant of issues…but not on a daily morning, noon and night basis!! Might also add….ensure your info comes from EpochTimes or similar - NOT MSM!!