Thursday, July 10, 2008

I'm going to answer another easy question which has an embarrassing answer. Mary J, you ask me where I get my news on a regular basis and why.


Truth is, I am not as systematic as I believe a person should be about getting news. I sometimes watch the News Hour on PBS and always feel that I learn when I do. When something is clearly happening - like a primary or a storm I sometimes follow on CNN or local news. I like seeing candidates and hearing speeches, but often feel commentary is puffed up - not real reporting but editorializing. I do not watch FOX News because of its conservative bias. I often watch Bill Moyers and Charlie Rose, but not every week and not perfectly all the way through. I have a few topics I have the New York Times send me articles about - vary with interest, usually include "writing" and some mental health topic. I don't always read the articles. I don't read any newspaper on a regular basis though I believe I would be a better citizen if I did - just lack the discipline (or maybe it's priorities because I don't have any trouble finding the discipline to regularly read the blogs of people I love). I've always been better on the micro (familial/local) than the macro ( world/universe) scale in terms of being active. I do check sites on line like Amnesty International on a fairly regular basis and sporadically read articles in news magazines including The Economist and Time. And I ask the better informed members of my family, especially Chris, Bob, and Joanna, what they know and think about issues and events in the world. I'm more likely to read fairly recent history (twentieth century ) at length than news. This is an area in which I wish I were more together and systematic, but probably won't ever be. If you ask Bob this question he will probably have a more systematic answer.

4 comments:

Peggy said...

I hear you on this one, Victoria. And it's even more embarrassing for me since I worked for nearly 20 years for a newspaper. I think the truth is I get most of my news by listening and talking to people I know.

Peggy said...

Here's another question or two I think would make for good discussion:

If you had to design a medical care plan for the country, what do you think it would be like?

What would you do if you had to spend three days at home by yourself with nothing in particular you had to do?

What do you think the three most important issues are for the next president of the US to address?

Victoria said...

Peggy, Mary my friend and Mary my niece, and Bob my love, thanks for the continuing questions. This is fun. Some of them are tough ones - real challenges. You are keeping me delightfully busy. And Peg, I am feeling a little better that you also get most of your news from listening and talking to people you know.

Mary said...

Interesting to think about where a person gets the news. I read a lot of news online. Always check my local newspaper online, reading a lot of local as well as some national. I have Breaking News sent to me by email. I watch local television & its network news, plus periodically watch CNN. If I am interested in a particular news subject and want to get lots of varied detail, I will do a Google news search.