I think "being informed" is very overrated in general. Often it means being informed about palace intrigue and intelligence service/corporate narratives. I would say that in general media consumption or "staying informed" should be seen as a vice not a virtue
Self proclaimed "news junkies" are some of the most insufferable people I know.
"If you don’t read the newspaper, you are uninformed. If you do read the newspaper, you are misinformed." -- Col. Jack O'Neill (with 2 Ls)
It's not overrated, it's often confused with "to understand what's happening".
To "be informed" is like to take a look at a chess or go board: positions are clear, black and white pieces are here and there, but it takes skill to really understand the current dynamics of a game.
Add media bias ("let's show the board at this angle that looks better for our side") and now we have "informed" population that's being surprised by reality every day.
So what's your alternative? Living in ignorance until it's too late?
That's a false equivalence which is at the heart of the issue. You seem to be be assuming that "being informed" makes you better placed and/or more willing to take right action, but I'm not convinced that's the case
I'm not arguing. I'm genuinely asking for your approach. I can imagine being overloaded with information. And "research hypnosis" is a genuine thing (and issue I sometimes struggle with). I'm open to accepting I may be falling for it again and am open to other approaches. I genuinely don't know much more to do than keep calling my reps.
I still fundamentally believe that an info overload (as long as you are scrutinizing your news healthily) is better than being in complete ignorance.
Better how? And by what measurement? What are you gaining from info overload opposed to ignorance?
You say you fundamentally believe in one over the other, but you haven't made the case for info overload, and have even made some points against it (hypnosis, futility, etc).
How often do you actually act on something you saw in the news, within, say, a month?
I avoid news qua news as much as possible and try to read up on things after a month or so, when the heat has gone out and more sober analysis has taken place. E.g. I'm vaguely aware there was a plane crash recently and look forward to reading a proper writeup of that at some point, but I doubt there's anything to be learnt from diving into detailed coverage right now.
Most stuff on the news doesn't feel like it threatens my life (e.g. Not a wildfire 5 miles away from me). So admitedtly not that often.
But probably more often than you'd expect. I see layoffs and I check up on contacts to see if they are okay. Major crashes or other kinds of disasters if I know people in the area. I see tarriffs and think "well, gotta grab stuff before that". I see issues with food and warn my family. Since a lot of my family is military I do need to check up everytime some chaos happens in DC. These aren't large actions but I do act on that knowledge.
This is definitely a case right now where I feel it's important to be informed instead of "letting it blow over". There may not be anything left this time. If you don't feel like it that's perfectly fine. But I'm genuinely looking for any ways to help, no matter how small.
in some handwavy simplification:
[start] data --(meaning/interpretation)--> information --(interpretation/understanding)-> knowledge ----> ...
probably more levels. At any step one can take action.. faster if more to the start but also less thoughtfull/"correct". primal instincts are at the start
the whole point of news-machine is to never get to beyond information.. same as <2sec video-frame switching..
Most people think being informed is reading the NYT or the WP. That's being half informed. That's like listening to the prosecutor and ignoring the defense. You have to read both sides of the stories and guess where in between the actual facts lie (no pun intended).
>So what's your alternative? Living in ignorance until it's too late?
Too late for what? you are _already_ a slave to the system from birth to grave. If there is anything you can do, do it regardless of the news which is a distraction/propaganda.
I'm begrudgingly fine with that. Let me do something before the deal alters, please.
See i even go further, i disagree that consuming _more_ propaganda is somehow an antidote to other propaganda you consumed. My strong belief on this is that the more media you consume the less accurate your worldview becomes