“The killer is still on the run…” “Russia-Ukraine war …” “Environment and Climate crisis…” “Inflation….” “Housing….” “Costs of living…” “AI….” “The crisis is worsening…” “The number of casualties is rising…” “Mass shooting in …” “Politicians empty promises…” “Trump again …” “Transgenders…” “LGBTQ….”
…
These are words we hear and read about, repeatedly, on a regular basis, not to say a daily basis.
Like many others, I used to consume a lot of news every day. Reading the news somehow made me feel good. I felt like I knew what was going on in the world and that I was up to date on important developments.
Over time, I started questioning myself about why I was constantly reading this negative news, even when, most of the time, they did not necessarily provide new information.
Recently, thanks to Donald Trump, Justin Trudeau, Greta Thunberg, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, I completely lost the appetite for news or, more precisely, immersing myself in the 24-hour news cycle. I realized that whatever I was reading or hearing on any given day was a repeat of what was already news a few years ago and will still be relevant in a few years from now.
After thinking about this some more, I also realize that unbiased news does not exist, that there is a proliferation of fake news circulating around and that being up to date on the news does not necessarily make me informed about the world. So, from one day to the next I quit the 24-hour news cycle, cold-turkey.
And this happened.
I felt an unprecedented sense of peace and contentment. changing my media habits took my general mood to the next level. On a fundamental level, I found myself just being very much at peace. I also noticed an increased curiosity about several different things and became much more more informed. For instance, I started brushing up my knowledge about the history of Ancient Egypt. Reading more about events of historical significance helped me put the present into perspective.
I also realized that even without reading or following the news anymore, I was still up to date. If there were important news, someone would inevitably let me know, often right away. People I know would mention it verbally or in an email, share an article with me over social media or email. I would also check the front page of news outlets and scan the headlines of the articles. This helped me ensure that I was not missing any important developments without getting caught back in the 24-hour news cycle.
J. Michael Dennis, ll.l., ll.m.
FREE SPEECH ABSOLUTIST / PERSONAL & CORPORATE FIXER
Systemic Strategic Planning; Regulatory Compliance; Crisis & Reputation Management
J. Michael Dennis ll.l., ll.m. Live 
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