I no longer watch any national news programmes, and I do not go out of my way to listen or read general news articles. The reason being the attention paid to "bad" news. That is news that involves human misery in some way.
This is a personal choice not because I want to ignore suffering of others, but because I find bad news deflating and a killer to good mood and happiness. I am not advocating a ban on news or a suppression on reports, quite the contrary. The growth in communications and communication channels has meant that there is more awareness of suffering etc generally such that individuals feel that they can do something about it.
Who knows how much events such as the overthrow of Col. Gaddafi's government has been possible because the ordinary person now has access to communications/information that enables them to take individual action and make a difference. Throughout history, there has been communication, but never on a global scale and things like dictatorships have been possible as the ordinary person does not know what is going on. This would make them feel isolated and unsure of the popular consensus to make changes.
My only wish with the reporting of news items is that the reporting organisation should balance every report of bad news with equal coverage of good news. Something that promotes the human spirit, achievement or altruism. Something that can lift your mood and let you know that there IS good news out there.
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