Does watching the news upset you? I used to pride myself on being informed; actually, it was part of my job for many years. I had to know what was happening locally and nationally as far as current events. Now I find that watching the news really upsets me. I have a lot of friends that don’t watch the news at all. That always amazes me. How can you go through the day and not see what is happening around you and in other places in the world? Are people who don’t watch the news happier people? Based on the negative tone of most newscasts, I’m sure they are.
When I was actually reporting the news, people used to ask me why news reporters share such negative news. The old motto used to be that “if it bleeds, it leads.” There were some television stations that were known for reporting news in this way. You could count on them featuring the worst news in the city. Some stations tried reporting “good news” segments and found that they were not very popular.
When I was going to work every day, I felt the morning news was vital. I wanted to see what had happened overnight, and I wanted to watch the traffic so I would know which way to drive to work. That traffic report was critical. I am always amazed by those who don’t at least listen to the traffic report when they are planning to get out there in traffic. As recently as last week, the fire in Squirrel Hill affected traffic for a few miles. The building that burned was close to the Parkway East, and for a few days, traffic in that area was a nightmare. Many people were caught in traffic and did not know why.
So, at least tune in to your local morning news and get a recap of world and local issues. You’ll thank me later.
Email the columnist at debbienorrell@aol.com
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