Summary – tl;dr: Reduce how much news you consume and pick your news sources thoughtfully.

Bad News On The Rise

The news offers a seemingly never-ending cavalcade of dumpster fire stories. This is nothing new. How rarely do we see an uplifting and inspiring story — except on shows that specifically cater to providing such news?

The news media leans toward and emphasizes bad news.

For example, studies regularly show how even though crime rates have fallen dramatically, the amount of news coverage, especially for more violent crimes, has increased.

Unsurprisingly, Americans often complain that there is too much emphasis devoted to violent crime in the news. Americans also typically overestimate how bad crime is based on the perception they build watching local news.

Choosing Your News Sources

Personally, I avoid broadcast news. I find the stories reported often to be sensational, and the short time allotted each item prevents the in-depth analysis I prefer. Also, I am annoyed by the interruptions by loud and too frequent advertisements.

I prefer written news. That way I can choose the stories I wish to read, select the news sources, skip the loud advertisements, and limit the news I consume if I start to feel overwhelmed.

It is human nature to gravitate towards people and things we find familiar and comfortable and the same goes for the news. I recommend you examine the news sources you prefer.

All news sources have some form of bias. Being aware of that bias gives you information not only about the potential coloring of each shared story, but also the behind-the-scenes editorial decisions about which stories to investigate and share.

AllSides.com publishes The Media Bias Chart showing Left/Center/Right bias. However, it doesn’t rate factuality, and you have to be a paid subscriber to access the latest version of their chart.

Harvard posted a report with a recent version of the Media Bias Chart including rates for factuality. Unfortunately, it isn’t the easiest site to navigate:

Look for your favorite news sources on the chart. How do they rate?

News Sources I Follow

My most frequently visited news site is DemocracyNow.org. It leans decidedly to the left but consistently rates very high on factuality. DemocracyNow.org is highly rated, award winning, independent, and audience-supported — it receives no corporate funding and is not beholden to corporate or billionaire overlords.

The other site I follow and subscribe to is Ground.News. Subscriptions start at less than US$1 per month, and you are provided with news headlines linking to multiple news sources. Each source is rated Left/Center/Right as well as for factuality.

It also provides The Blindspot, which highlights stories that are disproportionally covered by media sources on one side of the political spectrum. This helps the reader become aware of stories beyond their comfortable bubble.

I have subscribed for to Ground.News for several months now and can recommend it. I receive no compensation for promoting them.

One print media source I purchase is the Capitol Hill Citizen.

It is currently a bimonthly print newspaper that can be purchased for a donation as little as US$5. It was founded in 2022 by Ralph Nader and contains no advertising. Here is the Wikipedia page on it — which incorrectly states it is a monthly periodical.

Consume some good news!

Just a little good news can really lift your spirits. When I find myself doom-scrolling or just feeling overburdened, I seek out news that is inspiring and uplifting. It’s amazing how big an impact that can have!

My favorite good news site is https://goodnewsnetwork.org

You will find stories about heroic actions, scientific breakthroughs, amazing accomplishments by kids and teens, and more. I am confident you will feel better after reading even just a couple stories on this site.

On the Road with Steve Hartman is a regular feature of the CBS Evening News. These are wonderful, heartwarming stories reporter Steve Hartman collects from all around the country.

Conclusion

I try to stay informed with events around the country and the world, but I try to strike the balance between staying engaged and becoming overwhelmed. I recommend you try to find the right balance for you and cut back on the bad news if you find yourself withdrawing and feeling helpless.

What Can I Do – Series Introduction
1. Manage your consumption of news
2. Reduce your time on social media
3. Communicate with your legislators
4. Cultivate and nurture your friendships
5. Volunteer and serve others

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