How to get news

Happy Sunday,

“Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.”

Philippians 4:8

How do you get your news?
Do you read it? Listen to it? Watch it? Scroll it?

When I first recognized that the news was making me angry and anxious, I reevaluated the amount and source of my news. My philosophy was (and still is) that if I consumed a small amount of politically balanced news, I could stay informed without becoming overwhelmed, obsessed, or obnoxious.

It wasn’t until later that I realized how I consume the news has a huge impact on my achieving those goals.

So, here’s my ranking of different news mediums:

1. Written: Articles have a clear end/stopping point. Sources are typically linked, making them easier to verify. 

4. Podcast: Episodes have a clear end/stopping point. Difficult to check sources. Useful medium for deep dives and to better understand specific topics.

9. Social media: Algorithms reward being sensational and entertaining rather than accurate or thorough. Sources are rarely cited and difficult to check. There’s no end.

10. Cable: The need to fill 24 hours every day incentivizes mixing the news with opinion and entertainment. There’s no end. Difficult to check sources.

I’m not sure what numbers 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, or 8 are… but I want to drive home the point that, as mediums for consuming news, I really dislike social media and cable. They have proven to be really toxic for me, causing me to lose track of time and emerge an angrier and more anxious person.

To head off some emails, I’ll concede that there is valuable news published through each of these mediums. But my goal isn’t to consume any news that’s valuable… It’s to consume a small amount of politically balanced news. 

Achieving that goal is hardest when I get my news from cable or social media, and easiest when I read the news. So, I have completely cut out cable news (though, to be fair, I never watched much), and I forcibly limit my time on social media to 15 minutes/day. I even have a password-enforced limit on my phone, and only my friend Nate knows the password.

If you’re on social media, I’d challenge you to set up a similar limit. Here’s how to do it on iPhone and Android. 

What do you think?
Jason

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News health starts with spiritual health… and The Bible Recap* has been helping me dive deeper consistently—even through the routineless newborn season. It’s been the foundation of my daily quiet time since October 2024. I highly recommend giving it a try. 

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