Journalist Amanda Ripley has put into words what many of us are feeling these days — that the news has simply become too depressing to bother with any longer. Surveys indicate that at least four in ten Americans have cut the news media entirely out of their daily routines, and I somewhat reluctantly second that emotion. (ref: Smokey Robinson)
The biggest issues of our time, like climate change, just feel too overwhelming. What are we supposed to do in our tiny little lives about something so hugely huge? (ref: Monte Python)
But, my sick sense of humor aside, it’s true. There is fundamentally nothing we can do about climate change individually. You know that. I know that.
For that matter, there is precious little we can do about any of the huge problems facing our world — poverty, war, genocide, hate, and the gross inequalities everywhere.
It’s only logical to conclude that the situation is hopeless, so why bother sinking into the morass of the daily headlines any longer?
I’m not sure I have a good answer to that one.
And it makes me fundamentally question what I am doing here, day after day, spending hours sorting through hundreds of headlines to list a few dozen that seem to represent the most important things we should all know about in each particular news cycle.
What am I doing? What do I know? Who am I to say?
Maybe, just maybe, my job should actually be to do what Amanda suggests, which is to add some hope, agency and dignity to the news whenever I can. On the days that I can’t do that, perhaps I should just tay silent and keep the peace.
What do you think? (Comments welcome.)
The Latest Links:
“I stopped reading the news. Is the problem me — or our product?” (Amanda Ripley/WP)
A Very Basic Experiment Is Stumping the World's Best Physicists — Hot water really might freeze faster than cold water. (Atlantic)
Elon Musk Moves to End $44 Billion Deal to Buy Twitter (NYT)
The staggering scope of U.S. gun deaths goes far beyond mass shootings (WP)
How bitcoin’s hunger for energy is undermining efforts to address climate change. (Reveal)
As Musk moves to abandon deal, Twitter faces ‘worst case scenario’ (WP)
Sri Lanka president, PM to resign after tumultuous protests (AP)
Israel is the real winner of Biden’s meeting with the Saudi crown prince (Politico)
Shinzo Abe’s Influence Was Still Evident Long After He Left Office (NYT)
Deleting files isn’t enough. Here’s how to properly erase hard drives. (WP)
Amid chaos, some at July 4 parade ran toward gunfire to help (AP)
First, the Fish Fell From the Sky. Then They Washed Ashore. (NYT)
Choose your reality: Trust wanes, conspiracy theories rise (AP)
Tom Petty's regret about The Travelling Wilbury's (Far Out)
'Astonishing' 500 million-year-old fossils preserved the brain of this creepy 3-eyed predator (LiveScience)
Grove of giant sequoias threatened by California wildfire (AP)
Area Man Having One Of His Little Bursts Of Energy Where He Tries To Write A Song (The Onion)
TODAY’s LYRICS (straight from Detroit and places north):
"I Second That Emotion"
By Smokey Robinson (with The Miracles)
Maybe you'll wanna give me kisses sweet
But only for one night and no repeat
And maybe you'll go away and never call
And a taste of honey's worse than none at all
Oh little girl, in that case I don't want no part
I do believe that, that would only break my heart
Oh, but if you feel like lovin' me
If you got the notion
I second that emotion
So, if you feel like givin' me
A lifetime of devotion
I second that emotion
***
“I’m a Lumberjack”
By Monty Python
I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK
I sleep all night, I work all day
He's a lumberjack and he's OK
He sleeps all night and works all day
I cut down trees, I eat my lunch
I go to the lavatory
On Wednesdays I go shopping
And have buttered scones for tea
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