I had decided earlier this week that I may have to stop watching the TV news ! Based at home, it's very easy to get stuck in the News loop that is Sky News. I mean, if I don't watch out, I suddenly find at some point that I have in fact watched the same news footage over and over again in a 15 minute loop. It's not really news then is it? My take on the word "News" means it's new, it's fresh, it's informative - and that's basically impossible with the same information produced repetitively in 15 minute loops. While the world is a very interesting and every changing place, its unlikely that something new AND news-worthy will happen in time for editing or reporting live, every 15 minutes!!
Add to that the fact that I'm talking about Sky News here and Rupert Murdoch who, lets face it, essentially is one of the "Big Five" who own the world ..................... or is that "Big Three"? Either way, I fear I'm getting a very one sided view (a very repetitive one) of the world at large. Plus I'm mostly getting British News or at least information targetting the UK and it's residents. Bluntly, there is much I am also interested in that is not available to me through this channel. Ryan remarked on the fact that there is very little by way of news choice with the Sky bouquet we have ............ to be fair, the choice was about the sport, the broadband and the ............. something else in that order, I think, I forget. Anyway, no Al Jazeera, no Fox news, no SABC news, no E-TV news etc.
But getting to the point here, having avoided TV news for at least a couple of hours, I tried the internet news website option instead. Looked at a couple of old favourites, both here and abroad and ran into another special kind of horror .......... the commentary from the peanut gallery of "other readers" invited to post below pretty much any article on any website, both news and sport! Oh dear, force-fed some pretty dreadful opinions and viciously
Just the commentary alone following one article recently written by a good friend's father - who happens to be a godfather within journalistic circles - about "the blue train journey" post the "dirty little stones dinner of Naomi Campbell" - veered randomly and unchecked from spiteful banter, to hate-speech and blantant racism, to embarrassing ignorance and toe curling stupidity to very well penned factual reflection - amongst many other things. Outrageous indeed!
Enter new loop ..................... endless emotion and roller-coaster ride caused by "the human spirit" or should that read "spirited human" online opinion!
Time to read a book me thinks.
Over and out
Natale
