I haven't watched TV news for more than 3 days now. I finally gave up

[Subdivisions]

on MSNBC on Tuesday, the final TV news outlet I would watch. The final straw was when they played the 911 call from Elin Woods reporting in a panic and tears that her mother had collapsed. All that day, including AFTER it was revealed that it was Tiger's MIL suffering from a stomach ailment, MSNBC treated the incident as BREAKING NEWS! I couldn't take it anymore.

Already I feel so much calmer and feel that it was the best decision I've made recently. The urge to flip over is overpowering, like an addiction. But so far I'm hanging in there.

Ask me anything.

[truedelphi]

1. So you are totally unaware that

Michelle Obama was found to be one of the Loving women on Tiger Wood's cell phone black book?

I think that is about the only revelation that would make any of these other revelations worth repeating.

I mean, who the heck give's rat's sorry butt about Tiger and all his lovers.

Irrelevant, and should be page thirty of the news, although if People magazine wants to make a big fuss about tiger, so be it.

[cynatnite]

2. What about Rachel and Olbermann?

I hate missing them.

[Subdivisions]

9. Good question. I pick up the juicy clips from the website, usually from links provided here. n/t

[Brickbat]

3. I rarely watch TV. It's much easier on your constitution.

Except, you know, when hockey's on.

[Subdivisions]

18. I work from home and it's alot of waiting puctuated by bursts of

activity and then back to waiting. So, it's hard giving up the TV, even though the possiblility of doing just that has been under consideration alot lately.

[Brickbat]

24. Interesting -- I work at home, too!

But no way does that devil box get turned on.

[lunatica]

4. Listen to Thom Hartman

Every time I do my IQ goes up no matter how much it's been hammered and hacked at during the day. I catch him on the radio on my trip home after work. I can literally feel my brain cells gaining consciousness again.

Then I get to watch Olbermann who is followed by Rachel when I get home. I am one smart cookie by the time I go to bed.

[EFerrari]

5. LinkTV and FreeSpeech TV are much better

than any of that stuff. I haven't watched a minute of it since June and I feel much smarter. :)

[LuvNewcastle]

6. Welcome to my world.

I don't have cable, so I only get a few channels. I usually watch the news on PBS, that is, if I watch any news at all. There's more than enough news on DU, so I don't feel I'm missing anything. I think that staying away from too much news, especially cable news, keeps my stress level low. I know I'm not as stressed out as those I know who watch Fox News all the time.

[the other one]

7. Five years plus a month for me

I quit after right after the Edwards Cheney VP debate in 2004. Except for the Tsunami and New Orleans.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

8. I really need to do that.

I walk around with a knot in my stomach all day, everyday because of the doom and gloom, we're all gonna die! shit foisted on us by the corporate media. You would think that I would learn after 59 years.

[Subdivisions]

10. So much useless BREAKING NEWS!!! n/t

[Miss Authoritiva]

23. That's my gag mantra...

Whenever the talking heads -- and Wolf Blitzer's the worst -- start hyperventilating about something, I start running around the house faux-yelling, We're all gonna die! We're all gonna die! My husband just shrugs, but it must be wearing thin on him by now. My other saying is, Well then we're f*cked. That's for completely bogus breaking news.

Another thing I've noticed is that it's not just the news but the commercials that run during the news: cancer treatment centers; life insurance policies (They barely had enough to cover his funeral expenses); Alzheimers drugs -- although Alzheimers almost seems like a blessing; drugs for people who can't stop pissing; drugs for people who can't piss at all.

It will drive you mad!

[Trillo]

11. I haven't watched TV News since

the digital conversion. No more money for yet more gadgets.

[niceypoo]

12. 'Tiger Woods mother in law had a tummy ache' is news?

Oh brudder

[spanone]

13. it's hard to call it news.

we went from journalism to national enquirer-esque tabloid reporting across the board. bill moyers the brave exception.

[Cali_Democrat]

14. I haven't watched TV news for 6 months

It's very refreshing.

[marybourg]

15. Haven't watched tv news since John Cameron Swayze (19 64?) nt.

[Warpy]

16. I packed it in 5 years ago

and the funny part was how little I missed it. I'd just gotten tired of being lied to by omission and gave up the habit of ruining supper with the bleat of corporate liars.

What finally did it for me was the 2004 campaign, reported as which pol was in which town and the poll numbers but never a word from either on issues or how the two men differed. No wonder most voters didn't know, either.

Broadcast news is 100% coporatized crap. Even though Olberman occasionally does a good rant and I might tune in for the last 10 minutes to hear it, that's about all I can stand.

I can't imagine tuning back in to the bleating, perfectly coiffed and overpaid spokesmodels for how great fascism is.

Life is short. I'd rather listen to good music.

[bhikkhu]

17. Its been over 6 years for me

The longer you go, the easier it gets, and the more obviously absurd or ignorant the little bits you see anyway seem.

[Contrary1]

19. I quit watching about 4 months ago...

When something happens that I consider to be big news I do tune in; but I can only take a few minutes of it. MSNBC isn't much better than the rest these days.

Unlike the OP, I had no withdrawal symptoms.

[kirby]

20. I sold my computer months ago... n/t

[niyad]

22. so how are you here on DU?

[niyad]

21. so tonight, on two of the main programs I watch--KO and Rachel-- BREAKING NEWS

for over half of KO's show--and a large part of Rachel's-- all about this "can't keep it in his pants" golfer. I turned over to a movie after talking with a friend.

I don't give a rat's ass about tiger, and he certainly isn't worth two hours of primetime news tonight--or two minutes. I was sorely disappointed.

Like another poster, I prefer linktv--in watching "mosaic" this morning, I kept thinking, "wow, they actually discuss serious issues"

now, maybe some of the other reporting is "fluff" but that isn't the part I see.