Do you watch the news anymore?

Was talking with some friends and the subject of not watching the news anymore came up.

I always liked to know what it going on but have found recently that its just so depressing that I have just turned off. I feel so much better for it too!

Anyone else similarly affected?

No still try to catch it whenever I can , although not as impressed by the RTE News since they went all fancy with their new graphics, SFX and presenters standing around instead of sitting.

The old one was fine.

D8Lady said:

Was talking with some friends and the subject of not watching the news anymore came up.

I always liked to know what it going on but have found recently that its just so depressing that I have just turned off. I feel so much better for it too!

Anyone else similarly affected?

Click to expand...

I'm a total news/current affairs junkie but I have cut back for the same reasons as yourself. I'd like to think I could go cold turkey but I know I couldn't.

And I enjoy elections more than most things so I probably won't be far from a radio or tv for the next few weeks at least.

And I try to watch Vincent Browne any night I can. I love his expressions of "exasperation" at some of his panel's responses.

I'm trying to replace watching depressing news stories with movies starring me.

Tonight's offering is "This is Spinal Tap" on UTV in preparation for our "One Night Only World Tour" on 30th June 2009 at Wembley, London.

D8Lady said:

Anyone else similarly affected?

Click to expand...

I don't watch the news but keep up to date via News at One on RTE Radio 1 & reading news on the web. The only TV program I watch is RTE's The Week in Politics on a Sunday night (oh, and maybe Vincent @ 11 on TV3 the odd time).

D8Lady said:

Was talking with some friends and the subject of not watching the news anymore came up.

I always liked to know what it going on but have found recently that its just so depressing that I have just turned off. I feel so much better for it too!

Anyone else similarly affected?

Click to expand...

Yes, same here. I still listen to news on the radio and read the paper, but have given up watching the news-I used to always watch it at night, but found it way too depressing over the last while.

Thanks for the responses everyone.

By seriously cutting down, I now have much more time on my hands - between 6-7pm slot and the 9 pm shows, web news etc.

Time to stop looking at other people lives and get a life of my own.

I get the weather and news once a day at 7am. After that in the car, if the news comes on I hit the button. Irish people are consumed with news/weather . And little is different. News: Billions blah blah blah, FF FG Labour blah blah blah, Man U blah blah blah, Ryanair near miss blah blah blah, Sunny periods with rain turning wintry at blah, blah, blah

I listen to the radio; RTE1 in the morning with “Moaning Ireland”, I used to listen to NewsTalk the odd time but the woman who presents it is just too stupid to listen to. In the evening I move between Matt Cooper and RTE1, again I used to listen to NewsTalk but George Hook is far too fond of his own voice and allows this to overwhelm the natural human tendency not to offer a strong opinion on subjects about which he knows absolutely nothing.
The bad production values on the 9 o’clock RTE TV news put me off watching it (ok, Ann Doyle’s neck had a bit to do with it as well) but Question Time, Prime Rime and The Week in Politics are all very good. I have high hopes for Pat Kenny’s new show as I have always found him to be excellent on hard current affairs topics.

Vincent Browns is so shamelessly biased that his show has little currency.

IMHO the Channel 4 news (which I sometimes just about get to see on C4+1) is superb. I haven’t been home in time to see the 6.01 news on RTE1 in about 15 years.

I get most of my news on line from the websites of the Irish Times, the Irish Independent, the New York Times, The Guardian and the Washington Post.

Purple said:

IMHO the Channel 4 news (which I sometimes just about get to see on C4+1) is superb.

Click to expand...

I completely agree.

I can't quite put my finger on it sometimes - the content and delivery is great, the short head to heads are usually good, but stylistically it manages to be both 'trendy' and formal somehow. Very accessable in an almost pop culture way but without dumbing down. It really is a genius piece of broadcasting IMO.

I too have given up watching the news - it was getting me down. I do catch the occasional news bulletin on the radio but never actively seek it out. Feeling much better now since my news diet has started though!

Caveat said:

I completely agree.

I can't quite put my finger on it sometimes - the content and delivery is great, the short head to heads are usually good, but stylistically it manages to be both 'trendy' and formal somehow. Very accessable in an almost pop culture way but without dumbing down. It really is a genius piece of broadcasting IMO.

Click to expand...

Also agree. C4 news has been the best UK news channel for many years. Not fancy, just does what it says on the tin.

Compare that with the 2 worst offenders (imho) - Sky news and C5 news.

1st is just flashy graphics and 2nd is for the thicko generation who read the tabloids.

If you want good coverage of world news then France24 is a good bet.