I'm swamped, stumped, and confounded by all the news and analysis I've subjected myself to lately. We Americans have become obsessed with the hourly signs and symptoms of our national health as they are broadcasted,Tweeted, and digitally provided to us in exhausting minutiae. And, of course, we can't turn away from poor Haiti. I confess that I can't process fast enough to take it all in and make something of it. I can't see the Big Picture anymore!
And the Little Picture, especially when it comes to politics, sucks so much canal water, my anxiety hyper-hydrates. Like you, I'm desperate for some good news...about our economy, about our national identity, about healthcare, about jobs, about anything! I'm like the hot, sweaty, hungry kid who's been in the backseat so long I have bucket-seat sores: my bladder is full, my stomach is empty, my skin itches with misery, and all I want to know is ARE WE THERE YET?!
In an effort to writhe away from it all, I've attempted in two previous posts to a) return to nature (that USED to work before News Abuse singed my synapses), and b) a little slapstick (futile...could you tell?), but my worry-wart tendencies have overcome my avoidance tactics. I find myself sneaking a twist of the car radio dial to catch "All Things Considered" on NPR or fingering the mouse for a quick peek at True/Slant. And, every time I try a personal news blackout, something dreadful happens out there and my media abstinence smacks of irresponsibility or indifference. I've been left feeling feeble when it comes to coping with what the hell's gonna happen next?! current events. Then, I had some luck today; a trip to the gym straightened things out a bit and I think I've found an elder's answer to information overload. It involves a little regression, but those of us who scamper in the shallows of senility (at any age) are used to a little regression.
When the DH has his regular racquetball date with our buddy, Stan, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I go along to ride the recumbent bike in the cardio room. I like the bike that's right in front of the Food Channel TV monitor, because I can spy on the Fox News foolishness on the adjoining monitor without being mistaken for a Conservative. And I love a chance to talk to Stan; he teaches high school social studies and is always a sure source of informed opinion. As the guys were waiting for their raquetball court, we three talked about the outbreak of News Flu we'd been suffering: irritability, tendency toward panic attack, sudden outbursts aimed at anyone suspected of belonging to The Other Side, politically. Stan mentioned that he knocks himself out to keep up with developments, but today he got the best analysis of the Stimulus Plan that he's heard yet...on CNN Student News, right in his own classroom! I checked it out online as soon as I got home and he's right.
I've found my news source, and, as long as my ego doesn't get in the way, why would I go anywhere else? The producers and reporters shoot for that network anachronism, impartiality, when reporting the to teens, I suspect; their product resembles something closer to what I grew up expecting from the news. Logically, there's less blood-pressure-spiking alarmism apparent in student broadcasting; the last thing you need in a high school these days is to rile the little darlings up. And, since the news team plans for one news broadcast a day, the information is put succinctly and clearly. More facts; less spin. That's exactly what I need. To ice the cake, there's video, podcast, and a transcripted version.
Today, on CNN Student News, I was reminded that the Stimulus was designed to be delivered over time, that it isn't all out there yet, which means that it's pointless to take the Plan's temperature every half hour. We can stop snatching at the remote, hoping to spot the exact moment the whole country turns around from despair to hope. Oh, right. I forgot that. I never expected the Stimulus to work magic nor for the recovery to suddenly manifest out of thin air, but I kept watching for magic, anyway. Come on, admit it: you weren't just reading news blogs for half your day because you're seriously devoted to staying well-informed. This phenomenon has become more psychological than logical.
Certainly, poor Haiti won't recover faster if I traumatize myself with too many images. In fact, I wish I had the guts to just forgo the State of The Union address and the endless post-mortems and catch a summary on CNN Student News, instead. It's bound to play better coming from a source that understands that their target audience needs a calm, rational, no-drama approach, something closer to Uncle Walter Cronkite, with an analysis that's limited. I want my news to show respect for the larger context...that of a future that stretches on for many decades (past the listener's sophomore year of high school) and one that can conceive of centuries. Gosh, I'd forgotten about a future that big; I've developed 24-hour News Cycle Attention Span and Instant Analysis Stress Disorder. I don't know if I can break my addiction to news-dope, but Student News is a more benign alternative...like a patch for smokers; same drug, lower dose, timed delivery.
That futurity thing is a perspective I've missed a lot lately, as I grovel for news that my retirement plan may still recover while I'm alive to use it. And the efficiency of a student-sized broadcast will free up a lot of time in my day for things that I might actually enjoy....like mastering my skateboard skills.
Okay, okay, we'll start watching Student News AFTER the State of The Union Address. How do you cope with TMI? Do you turn off, drop out, succumb helplessly? Give us an up-to-the-minute report.
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