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A TV news junkie most of my life, and I've stopped cold turkey w/out a thought

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Phoebe Loosinhouse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 03:45 PM
Original message
A TV news junkie most of my life, and I've stopped cold turkey w/out a thought
It's like the day you suddenly just stop craving and eating potato chips because the obvious lack of nutrition finally outweighed the fleeting salty crunch. I just can't digest the journalistic equivalent of empty calories any longer.
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Eric J in MN Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 03:47 PM
Response to Original message
1. I haven't had cable or satellite for more than two years. NT
NT
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sarge43 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 03:52 PM
Original message
Going on three years now. Don't miss it. n/t
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mix Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 03:47 PM
Response to Original message
2. welcome
a whole new world awaits you
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ecstatic Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 03:47 PM
Response to Original message
3. How long have you been clean?
A day? Two?
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Phoebe Loosinhouse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 03:53 PM
Response to Reply #3
5. I haven't watched Meet the Press for almost a month
and that was the beginning of my Sunday morning ritual. No more Morning Joe due to the constant onslaught of Republicans and Pat Buchanan. No more Tweety, probably also close to a month, not for any particular reason, just burnout.

It wasn't a dictate I gave myself, it just happened on its own. I'm not entirely clean by any means, but the interest in hearing vacuous, uninformed people who may or may not be paid to espouse their views has become too much of an obvious time waster. NO education or elucidation in return for my time.
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ecstatic Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 04:08 PM
Response to Reply #5
11. Cool. I think I'm going to try to do the same nt
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Uncle Joe Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 03:52 PM
Response to Original message
4. I know the feeling Phoebe, I used to live for the network news, flipping between every station
and this was after reading 2-3 newspapers a day, all in the pursuit of trying to determine what the truth was.

From about the late 90s it dawned on me, their stories not only missed or misreported too much, in many respects they were coordinated; from the commerical timing to the actual reporting, and they repeated the same mistakes, lies and slanders long after the truth was known.

Today I don't miss them one bit.

Thanks for the thread.
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Phoebe Loosinhouse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 03:58 PM
Response to Reply #4
8. I used to start my day with the Washington Post and the New York Times.
Edited on Tue Aug-04-09 04:00 PM by Phoebe Loosinhouse
I rarely bother anymore, perhaps a long term disillusionment has finally kicked in. I think their mission is almost consciously to ignore the obvious and inflame the ignorant, something they are all too successful at doing lately.

I so often agree with your posts - you always appear to be a few miles further down the path than me.
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Uncle Joe Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 04:15 PM
Response to Reply #8
13. Thank you for the compliment,
Edited on Tue Aug-04-09 04:16 PM by Uncle Joe
you've always been one of my favorite posters and I appreciate your enlightenment as well.

Peace to you, Phoebe Loosinhouse.:pals:
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tridim Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 03:54 PM
Response to Original message
6. Still watch MSNBC, but that's where I draw the line
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tabatha Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 03:57 PM
Response to Original message
7. About 7 years now.
12 x $50 x 7 = $4200 saved.
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truedelphi Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 04:01 PM
Response to Original message
9. We went without TV for abt 18 months.
Edited on Tue Aug-04-09 04:02 PM by truedelphi
Discovered some fabulous local radio stations, and got into the jazz stations as well.
Found a whole new world out there - gardening and herbal programs, astrology (Carolyn Casey,) the occassional NPR program that was still creative and not in service to a Corporation or two.

TV has destroyed itself. Even when watching something that might be worthy (Rachel Maddow fits that bill for me,) it is troubling to realize that a program is only 17 minutes long, and the rest is commercials. It is like getting slapped around by a bully while in return you are offered a few crumbs.
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5thGenDemocrat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 04:04 PM
Response to Original message
10. Yeah, I have too
What updates I need I can get off the 'net. The difference between Walter Cronkite, David Brinkley, Howard K. Smith et al and their linear descendants is the difference between chicken salad and chicken shit.
John
Spent many years as a print journalist. Got out some 15 years ago and have never missed it.
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lxlxlxl Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 04:10 PM
Response to Original message
12. You can't really escape it.
I ducked out in 1996 when I did my undergrad. Trust me, you cannot escape the b.s., so don't set your expectations too high. You start to realize it's real influence in people's day to day interactions, and the homogeniety. Welcome to the no-tv news club...
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XemaSab Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 04:18 PM
Response to Original message
14. After years with no TV news, I watch it now and it's SO VAPID
The worst part is that in an hour of news, there's 20 minutes of commercials, 5 minutes of business, 5 minutes of sports, 5 minutes of entertainment, 5 minutes of water-skiing budgies, 5 minutes of how fat and unhealthy people are, 5 minutes of weather, 5 minutes of traffic accidents and fires, 5 minutes of drive-by shootings (local programming may vary), and the rest of the time is left for actual news. :P
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bemildred Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 04:20 PM
Response to Original message
15. Good for you. You will never be sorry, or at least I have never been sorry. nt
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Warpy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 04:22 PM
Response to Original message
16. That happened to me in 2004
If I hear Olberman is doing a special comment, I'll tune in for the last five minutes of his hour. I know what time the weather forecast comes on if I don't think it's going to be more of the same (sunny and hot, hot, hot). Otherwise I don't bother.

I just got sick of being lied to by omission.

Watching the evening news was just habit. It was remarkably easy to break.
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Laelth Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 04:28 PM
Response to Original message
17. I watch, on average, one hour of T.V. per week, and it's usually BBC.
It's good to turn off the brainwashing device for long periods.

:dem:

-Laelth
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Phoebe Loosinhouse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 04:29 PM
Response to Original message
18. NO Swift Boat Vets, Birthers or Tea-Baggers without MSM complicity
When you think of the actual damage to our country that has been done by them giving validity to these panderers of slander and ignorance . . . .

And now they are doing all they can to rob us of health reform by plugging the astro-turfing of the Town Halls. They honestly do not deserve an audience. I guess I'm finally getting it.
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Toucano Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 04:32 PM
Response to Original message
19. Bravo for you.
It isn't even news anymore.

I don't know what to call it, but it can't be called journalism.
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tinkerbell41 Donating Member (722 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 04:32 PM
Response to Original message
20. Wish I could kick cigarettes that quick!
I just stopped watching, sometime before Inauguration, watched that day and haven't been back.
Stopped buying papers also. Only thing I read now is Mother Jones, The Progressive, and Rolling Stone. I just got sick of the BS.
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rucky Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 04:38 PM
Response to Original message
21. I get all the updates I need from the DU. n/t
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Phoebe Loosinhouse Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 05:46 PM
Response to Reply #21
22. Me too. Actually, the only 2 sites I'm devoted to reading
are DU and Daily Kos. Talking points Memo is right up there as is Glenn Greenwald.

The only magazine I subscribe to currently is The New Yorker. I gave up Newsweek, not enough news and it started becoming Godweek. I used to subscribe to Vanity Fair and I must say I do miss it and might have to re-up sometime in the near future. I used to subscribe to the Nation and I feel guilty for stopping. They are fantastic, but the journalistic equivalent of a macrobiotic diet - only dense gray/brown things that are time-consuming to digest, but good for you. They need more raisins- short, chewy pieces.
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lordsummerisle Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Aug-04-09 10:54 PM
Response to Original message
23. I'm at the point where
the only reason I have TV is if there's another 9-11 event. In a case like that TV coverage is very compelling...
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