Some studies indicate that only around ten percent of the population plays close attention to the news.
If true, that makes those of us who do pay attention a distinct minority. But those studies may not accurately capture the alternative ways many people access the news these days since trusting major media institutions is a choice fewer and fewer people are making.
Social media channels like Instagram and TikTok are the news sources of choice for many, particularly among the young. Far more obscure subgroups and niches of the Internet attract their share of the audience as well.
Many people learn about and sort the news mainly by talking with friends or relatives. Kids, for example, hear about news stories very efficiently at school, on the playground, or in transit. Few major events escape their notice.
Adults accomplish the same interchange about news events in coffee houses, places of worship or at community centers. They chat while shopping or playing cards.
In fact, the flow of information about mega-events like the war in Ukraine is ubiquitous.
One tiny example: During my biannual checkup yesterday, my doctor, who is a native of the former Soviet republic of Georgia, described the war as deja vu,to to her, and denounced Putin as someone who “has to go.”
In the course of a 15-minute visit, we shared information and perspectives about the conflict while we were both far off the media grid, while also discussing the more prosaic blood pressure, heart rate and medication issues at hand.
Had I been lacking an opinion on the war, my perspective might well have been affected by our interchange. As it was, my own ideas simply got amplified. But for my doctor, given her background, the war is personal in a way it is not to me, and that is a good example about what I’m talking about. Information — and how we feel about it — spreads unevenly throughout the human community person to person.
Like a virus.
As for the war, Putin has his apologists out there; Russian propaganda and disinformation is effective in some places (including parts of the U.S.) but world opinion is solidly against him. The Western mass media outlets covering the war are only partially responsible for that.
People talking with each other are taking care of the rest.
Today’s Posts (42):
Emboldened by Ukraine’s Grit, U.S. Wants to See Russia Weakened (NYT)
Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, warned Ukraine against provoking World War III and said the threat of a nuclear conflict “should not be underestimated” as his country unleashed attacks against rail and fuel installations far from the front lines of Moscow’s new eastern offensive. [AP]
Russia accused NATO of engaging in a proxy battle that created a serious risk of nuclear war as Washington convened its allies at a German air base to pledge the heavy weapons Ukraine needs to achieve victory. (Reuters)
Putin gets what he didn’t want: Ukraine army closer to West (AP)
Russia will shut off gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria (CNN)
How Zelensky Tamed Ukraine’s Fractious Politics and Stood Up to Putin (NYT)
In Liberated Ukrainian Villages, Fears Grow for Men Taken to Russia (WSJ)
‘Putin never imagined’ global rally of Ukraine support, defense secretary says (WP)
Moldova's president convened an urgent security meeting after two blasts damaged Soviet-era radio masts in the breakaway region of Transdniestria, where authorities said a military unit was also targeted. The Moldovan authorities are sensitive to any sign of growing tensions in the unrecognized Moscow-backed sliver of land bordering southwestern Ukraine. (Reuters)
Looming ground battle is crucial phase in Ukraine, U.S. officials say (WP)
Behind Austin’s Call for a ‘Weakened’ Russia, Hints of a Shift (NYT)
Three Russian pilots suspected of bombing civilian buildings in the Kharkiv and Sumy regions are among at least seven Russian military personnel that Kyiv is preparing war crimes charges against. (Reuters)
‘Russia is failing,’ Blinken says as U.S. restarts diplomatic activity inside Ukraine (WP)
A professor in the U.S. teaches economics — and survival — to her students in Ukraine via Zoom (WP)
The U.N. now projects more than 8 million people will flee Ukraine as refugees (NPR)
With Deal for Twitter, Musk Lands a Prize and Pledges Fewer Limits (NYT)
Twitter workers face a reality they’ve long feared: Elon Musk as owner (WP)
Twitter’s board of directors agreed to sell the company to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, climaxing the world’s richest person’s quest to acquire his favorite social media platform and take it private. The deal was met with alarm by some Democratic lawmakers. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) called it “dangerous for democracy.” [HuffPost]
"I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means." — Elon Musk
Facebook will open its first physical store next month in California. (WP)
How American cities are wrestling with crime on public transit. (Cal Today)
Antiviral pills that treat covid-19 may be easier to find soon. — The U.S. announced today that it will double the number of pharmacies carrying Paxlovid. (WP)
VIDEO: Coronavirus Outbreak Sparks Panic Buying in Beijing (AP)
Three-quarters of Beijing's 22 million people lined up for COVID-19 tests as authorities in the Chinese capital raced to stamp out a nascent outbreak and avert the debilitating city-wide lockdown that has shrouded Shanghai for a month. (Reuters)
Most Americans have been infected with the COVID-19 virus, the CDC reports (NPR)
Covid Outbreak in Beijing Prompts Order for Nearly Citywide Testing (NYT)
Lockdowns drag on China’s economy as ripple effects of ‘zero covid’ cascade (WP)
A major recession is coming, Deutsche Bank warns (CNN)
Computers using light rather than electric currents for processing, only years ago seen as research projects, are gaining traction and startups that have solved the engineering challenge of using photons in chips are getting big funding. (Reuters)
CNN has obtained thousands more texts exchanged between Mark Meadows and Donald Trump’s high-profile supporters. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) asked Meadows for help organizing the congressional objection to Joe Biden’s victory. Meadows also frequently texted with Fox News host Sean Hannity, who appeared to ask Meadows how he could help improve Trump’s election results. [HuffPost]
In the hours after the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, House Republican Leader Mitch McConnell reportedly said he was “exhilarated” that the then-president had finally trashed his reputation, according to a new book. “He put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger,” McConnell said. “Couldn’t have happened at a better time.” [HuffPost]
Egyptian archaeologists unearthed the ruins of a temple for the ancient Greek god Zeus in the Sinai Peninsula. The Tourism and Antiquities Ministry said the temple ruins were found in the Tell el-Farma archaeological site, which dates back to the late Pharaonic period and was also used during Greco-Roman and Byzantine times. [AP]
Afghan evacuees in DMV struggle with rent after running out of aid (WP)
The Netflix Bubble Is Finally Bursting (Atlantic)
Sycophantic Backup Singers Just Mindlessly Parroting Whatever Lead Singer Says (The Onion)
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