Ava'sPapa Loc: Cheshire, Ct.

And which would you prefer to be?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Being informed is overrated. The expression, "No news is good news" is true in more ways than one. News services aren't in the business of making us happy. They present the worst news they can find, and they scare us into reading it. I get an overall idea of what's happening by reading headlines. I don't begin my day by reading about worldwide disasters.

Robertl594 Loc: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and Nantucket

It is a proven fact that at the advent of 24 hour news stations like CNN, MSNBC and Fox News, there was a dramatic increase in depression.

muggins88 Loc: Inverness, Florida

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Of course.

anotherview Loc: California

Your post touches on the role of the news media workers who type their stories in a context of alarmism which they produce by reference to extreme views.

In addition, these workers practice intellectual dishonesty. They do so by omitting mention of the variables pertinent to a rounded view of the topic.

These workers thus present an unbalanced view of the subject. This practice violates the credo that they purport to follow.

Hence, they ill serve the public in a democracy.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Fear is a powerful emotion, and it's used by many to get what they want.

Retina Loc: Near Charleston,SC

Happy creature! Unfortunately, some of the truth reported by some services is the worst without looking too far, even excluding major disasters. My spouse bans the news in our home at certain times. Despite my helpless addiction, I find a little peace now and then is a good thing. Shabbat shalom.

Robertl594 Loc: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and Nantucket

My wife does not allow me to watch the news either! Lol. It’s addicting.

Bubbee Loc: Aventura, Florida

But apathy is our greatest danger.

Robertl594 Loc: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and Nantucket

Along with stupidity and lack of thought. Put those together and we are in a world of hurt.

anotherview Loc: California

Consider that humans cannot long tolerate a condition of fear. They respond to a fear, sometimes, by an irrational remedy. A skilled opportunist may steer this response for a gain even against a rational order. I speak from experience in a political context.

On a larger scale, from history, we may classify the decision-making of President Roosevelt as from fear when he ordered the round-up of tens of thousands of individuals of Japanese ancestry, even though citizens, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. A national fear resulted from the sense that Japanese people on American soil would turn violently against the nation. This reaction never happened.

In fact, history tells us that not a single Japanese-American engaged in an internal act of violence against America. For more on this subject, I can recommend a visit to the Manzanar National Historic Site: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manzanar

Book by Ansel Adams: "Born Free and Equal" It offers 115 Photographs.

https://www.loc.gov/item/45002975

"Ansel Adams's Photographs of Japanese-American Internment at Manzanar"

https://www.loc.gov/collections/ansel-adams-manzanar/about-this-collection/

Interestingly, Ansel Adams received permission to do his photo essay of Manzanar on condition his photos could not include the wire around this place.

fourlocks Loc: Londonderry, NH

Agreed Bubbee and Robert. Apathy and avoidance haven't been particularly effective in dealing with climate change. Didn't help the Germans and a good chunk of the world in the '30's, either.

srron Loc: Courtice,On.

If you don't read the news, you are uninformed, if you do read the news, you are misinformed. This quote from Denzel Washington sums up what todays media is all about, they only care about being first, rather than weather the story is true or not.

Rich2236 Loc: E. Hampstead, New Hampshire

Kudos to you, anotherview...! you have hit the nail on the head. Newscasters, papers, so-called TV journalists, in other words the "MEDIA," are all there to preach their vitriol the way THEY want the public to see and/or read it. This way, they keep the people divided.