I think I have to take a break from watching media. Nothing is being done-it just gets worse

[demtenjeep]

I will look to DU for any breaking media but I have to back off watching TV for a while.

I can't take much more until idiot gets impeached

[Anon-C]

1. I think a general boycott of media including social media could be the one bell we can ring.

Seems none of us can afford to or are willing to strike. But nothing will happen, sadly.

[pwb]

2. Cut the cable? I did and it's great.

Get a H D antenna and watch broadcast news. It's better on the nerves. Cable news sucks, even the ones we think are on our side. Highly paid talkers and bullshit opinion. You will feel better...

[Fritz Walter]

50. So did I. Almost 4 years ago.

At the time, my reason was financial: paying almost $200/month for hundreds of channels of dysentery was not justified.
Installed an attic antenna, and now watch dozens of channels (without cable-analytics and other privacy issues).
However, I now prefer to get my news from Internet sources, such as DU, HuffPost, and others. Local and network news are almost entirely ad-driven — including and especially those from Big Pharma, ambulance-chasers, politicians and their PACs/StuporPACs.

Sadly, I had such high expectations for cable when it became available in the late 70s. I especially wanted to see content from other countries. And still do. (I don’t mind subtitles).

Instead, Bombast and others pander to lowest-common-denomination programming.

[samnsara]

3. exactly! this is why i started watching all the old time westerns from the 50s and 60s...

...simple, beautiful scenery, they end after the gun fight, nice looking cowboys (all are dead now..with Clint gone).I hated these growing up.......I watch them up until All In then i finish up with TRMS and O Donnell. i just cant submerge myself into news any longer unless its TRUMP GOING TO JAIL!

[eleny]

10. I was just doing something like that

I was working on some art pieces and the tv in my studio has an antenna and one of those boxes for local channels and uhf. In the background I had old game shows playing. Really old like What's My Line and I've Got A Secret.

Then I come back over here to catch up with what's going on at DU. It's helping my nerves so I'm not burning out. There's lots to do before November. I'm not going to allow the right wing to affect my determination or productivity.

[samnsara]

35. isnt it refreshing? I also watch hanging in the family room weaving a pine needle basket..

...and the tv is turned to MeTv or TVland or FeTv....or the INSP Channel which is real conservative and shows the Trumpy Bear commercials. ha!

[eleny]

44. The dvr is set up to record Highway Patrol when it comes back once in a blue moon

10-4!

Wow, you weave basketry. How cool is that!

[MGKrebs]

4. I prefer to read my news anyway.

I can much better manage my news intake that way.

But also, I have said it before and I will say it again: The strength of our system is supposed to be elections. It is supposed to be difficult to remove these people from power. Elections come every couple of years and that is our chance to make corrections. If the elections get compromised then we would need to go to Plan B, which I suspect is pretty damn drastic.

OK, so maybe the elections are getting compromised. If it happens again I am not sure where we go from there.

[samnsara]

37. well for one, i think we need all mail in ballots or at least paper ballots..

...i would love to see every one of our candidates no matter if they are only running for dog catcher...to push for paper ballots. Here is Wash State we are all mail in and the only thing that prevented one from voting was finding a dang stamp. BUT...beginning next ballot we get pre paid postage!

[Sherman A1]

5. I can only stomach about

10 minutes every few days of the breathless 24/7 breaking stories from the various Cable Noise Infotainment Networks. The suggestion in this thread of watching Westerns or turning it of completely is sound advice. I get really tired of people talking over each other and yelling at me about what they believe to be the latest twist and turn wedged in between endless commercials for drugs we didn't know we needed and a variety of insurance plans.


Turn them off.

[samnsara]

38. it was SO nice when the wedding was on!!!!!

[notdarkyet]

42. I watch westerns, the food channel and storage wars. Maybe we should send emails to cable news

Letting them know we are not watching and why. Trump overdose is toxic to the brain.

[Sherman A1]

54. I have considered doing just that.

Some of us have figured out their game and are no longer interested in being fodder for their advertisers. I came to the revelation of what they were doing long ago and I will turn on CNN when there’s a real breaking story just to catch a few minutes, but that quickly devolves into a constant repetitive loop with no new information.

They are not completely useless, but about 90% so.

[katmondoo]

6. I am with you

I am so saturated with depressing news I just want to hibernate until this mess is over

[mfcorey1]

7. I totally agree. I have increased my watching time with Netflix.

[Greybnk48]

8. I'm there too. Nothing happens day in and day out,

except more bad things for our country.

I don't want impeachment until after the midterms. The entire Republican Party is complicit and we need to know that there will be punishment along with impeachment. We won't get that now with this gang of thugs.

[Yonnie3]

9. I've been thinking the same.

I've quit watching the cable news channels regularly. Nearly everything is promoted as breaking news, even if it is just someone expressing an opinion as well as talking heads that are too full of themselves. It wears me out.

If something is going on that I want minute by minute coverage of, I'll tune in. Otherwise I am on the web reading and viewing what I choose rather than what the cable news folks think I should see.

I'm mainly reading WaPO and NYT, plus local/state news sources ... and of course DU's LBN.

[onecaliberal]

11. I need to do that as well.

[ecstatic]

12. I feel the same way every few days. Don't want any news or updates

from TV or from friends unless he's dead or impeached. It's IMPOSSIBLE to completely disengage though due to the volume and severity of the news that comes out, almost hourly.

[ginnyinWI]

13. feels good to take a break.

Watch BBC news on PBS and see what's happening in the real world. Don't watch the "worry" shows.

I say, "just let me know when the verdicts
get handed down."

[C Moon]

14. If you get your news from Twitter, it will sure look something is going to happen..any minute now :/

I agree: it's moving so slow; and with each passing day, the evil ones in the WH/Senate/Congress are getting their dastardly work done.

[dameatball]

15. I seldom watch the news anymore unless it directly affects me....usually weather. Otherwise online.

Pro sports is no longer of interest to me either. I keep up with my alma mater and that's about it.


If today's MSM covered Watergate, Nixon would still be President and Henry Kissinger would be married to Ivanka.

[DFW]

16. The Republicans spent over ten years getting the current scenario in place

We thought the election of Obama would reverse the trend. Instead, it only drove their efforts underground until they could reap the full effects of Citizens United and find a sympathetic ear in the Kremlin.

It will take us at least as long to repair the damage, and probably longer, as we have neither Fox Noise nor their money. I hate it that the only thing that will save us is their policies causing enough pain among the population as to make the people cry "enough!"

But as long as they think that no matter what happens, it's better anywhere in America than anywhere else, they will not seek something better, even if all that involves is going to vote Democratic once every two years.

[Moostache]

45. If what the GOP did to President Obama is in anyway "underground" I would hate to see overt...

That was 8 solid years (9 if you count 2007 and 2008 up to the election) of unadulterated hate, pure and simple.

[redstatebluegirl]

17. I have stopped for my mental health.

[flibbitygiblets]

18. Imporant to monitor our mental health in these dark days

when I consume too much gloomy news, and I start to get overly angsty and prone to tear up. Sometimes I need to take a break, even from DU, because it feels like we've reached a tipping point of awfulness. I literally cannot wait one minute longer for justice and honor to be restored to our great country.

...Not today, apparently. Deep breath.

Be sure to hug your loved ones. They're what really matters.

[OliverQ]

19. I feel the same way. I've been on vacation and haven't watched much news.

But even catching a few snippets of twitter makes me so depressed. I've now reached the point where I have zero hope this country will recover from this. Trump is immune from any consequences, and most Republicans are actively engaged in treason. Meanwhile, media and propaganda are effectively convincing people that Mueller is the bad guy and Republicans are not the ones destroying the country.

I see no way for Democracy to survive this.

[Kurt V.]

20. it helps.

Mostly infotainment anyway

[Snake Plissken]

21. I got rid of cable just the 2009 football season ended after President Obama's inauguration

And I don't miss cable one bit, especially cable news. I still get all the local channels and PBS over the air but mostly listen to radio and watch Netflix anyway

[ellie]

22. I agree

I have a high tolerance for misery but the other night I just said, No more. And shut off the computer early.

[cbdo2007]

23. Trump is ratings gold. They won't turn on him until the ratings drop and they need to bring them

up again with impeachment and more chaos.

Everyone needs to stop watching the news, the press briefings, etc. You can get all of that in headlines on DU.

[hibbing]

24. I stopped cable "news" after the election

The same talking heads all basically saying the same thing and all going to the same D.C. cocktail parties. Been binging Netflix like a mad man.


Peace

[elmac]

25. i've given up monthsago, w hich is easy because we have no real news media on tv. nt

[JanetLovesObama]

26. I spent the entire day watching

movies on Netflix. Watching this drumpf shit is making me physically ill.

[unitedwethrive]

27. The worst thing about it is that almost all of the media reports on the current administration as if

it was normal and legitimate. This includes MSNBC. It just makes me want to scream...THIS IS NOT NORMAL!!

[ProudProgressiveNow]

28. KR NT

[mnhtnbb]

29. I occasionally watch Chris Hayes or Rachel or Lawrence

but no other TV news. Can't take it .

I start my day with a morning dog walk and appreciate my environment. Sit out on the balcony. Read. Watch Netflix.

I absolutely cannot tolerate the sound of the orange one's voice. Nothing but lies and hate from him anyway.

If the Dems do not at least take back the House in November, we are going to be in for a generation or more of very bad times in this country.

[grantcart]

30. I cut the cable months ago. Listen to Maddow and Lawrence on

My smartphone

[samnsara]

40. they both have podcasts that are available about and hr after the show

[northoftheborder]

31. Ditto to all of the above.

[CelticWinter]

32. I agree

I have been so bitchy lately because it seems no one has a brain or balls to stand up to cheetolini (I mean in the government). My poor hubby has heard my wrath way to much lately. I will just come to the DU and read online. I need to destress.

[samnsara]

41. omg me too!!!!!

[Butterflylady]

33. Gave up on cable shows

DU is now my favorite and only news source right now. When the orange turd is gone, perhaps than I will return to some of my favorites.

[Kablooie]

34. I'm feeling the same thing.

Nothing is being done at all.
We just hear of horror after horror and crime after crime and he gets away with everything. The whole whole world seems totally helpless.

I'm losing faith.

[CanonRay]

36. I think. I hope, that things are being done

behinds the scenes at Mueller's offices and in the DOJ and CIA. I'd add pray, but I don't pray.

[Paladin]

39. I know exactly how you feel.

I want trump out of office, and I have a belly-full of chicken-shit Democratic officials failing to do what is necessary.

[Hortensis]

43. Demten, turning out for a while's good, but not

because "nothing is being done." That sounds like a "not knowing what it is to know something" assumption. Of course our leaders don't tell the Republicans, right wing media, Russia, dissenter groups, etc., etc., etc., all they're doing. And of course even when talking heads know something, unless they can present it in simple, understandable terms and dramatize it into profits, they're not going to use air time on it.

However, those who want to know more about the legal and legislative maneuvers of today's minority party can always start with intelligent articles in media intended for thoughtful lay readers, then follows links in those articles to others, and more links to others, in the process identifying knowledgeable authors who discuss what's being done and their books,. articles and blogs.

Enjoy your time off.

And for all who agree having leaders "not doing anything" obvious is frustrating, vote them into power next time!

[Dem2]

46. Basically where I'm at

Let me know when he's in cuffs.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

47. I have not had a TV or cable or satellite

for ten years now.

There are several wonderful benefits, the main one of which is I don't find myself listening to the same handful of stories over and over.

When there's some sort of breaking news, such as the most recent school shooting, that I'd like to watch, I simply Google for TV stations in or near that city. Invariably at least one has gone to live streaming, and generally the coverage by the local station is much better than the national networks.

And it's not as though I consider myself above watching TV shows. I watch plenty, more than I probably should, but again I do it via the internet. Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon are my the three I use. The very, very best part is no commercials. That means I watch a half hour show in about 20 minutes, which means I can watch three in an hour not two. So I'm not at all deprived.

Okay, so I'm not fully up to date on most of the current shows, but that doesn't feel like a problem.

anyway, do turn off the media. You will be vastly more sane because of it.

Did I mention I don't have to watch commercials? For the first few years, anytime I was in a hotel, I'd tend to turn on the TV, and invariably, after a while, like 45 minutes tops, I'd turn it back off because of the incessant commercials. Lately, the TV in a hotel room has become invisible to me.

[hunter]

48. Our television is a movie player. That's all it does.

DVDs and Netflix.

No cable, no satellite, no broadcast.

DVDs from thrift stores and Red Box.

Best for my own mental health.

Television is the worst possible medium for delivering "News."

[Liberalhammer]

49. I stopped

FB and Twitter. Still aware but social media is a problem

[lunamagica]

51. That's how I feel. Day after day these "bombshells" but nothinmg gets done

every day there is more evidence that the election was stolen, but the only reaction is a shrug and saying "there's nothing to be done, the constitutions will not allow any remedy. Too bad".

Meanwhile, they get away with everything, day, after day after day after day after day... They become more evil and monstrous with each passing day... lives are being destroyed.my depression has not gotten better since election night, it is just getting worse.

I haven't regularly watched the MSNBC nightly line up since election night. I just can't.

[Jakes Progress]

52. Before we all throw up at the television, read this.

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/03/how-to-build-an-autocracy/513872/

What is happening to all of us right now is planned. One of the first steps taken when a country moves to an autocracy is that people get used to or worn out by all the corruption and decide to just let go, to just check out.

I, too, find it hard to watch all the evidence being ignored, but if we just let it go and decide that we can't do anything, putin and trump have their victory. I'm not stamping my foot and demanding that you or others who are tired of it do something. Hell. I'm doing precious little other than griping. But it is scary that what Frum says in the Atlantic story is exactly what is happening. We keep looking for a leader and not finding one.

[demtenjeep]

53. I have 25 episodes of The Voice I neglected because I watched MSNBC

I had hope every time another bombshell came out the fucker would be gone

but I have no hope and am just going to watch the Voice