How to Build a Healthier News Diet

Start here: Listen to part one of the series.

Amanda Ripley: “When I wrote this full confession about my broken relationship with the news for The Washington Post, I knew I wasn’t alone. Still, I wasn’t prepared for the response I got. I heard from hundreds of current and former reporters, but also regular people all over the world. We all need to be aware of what’s happening. But staying on top of it all can leave us feeling paralyzed. How can we protect our sanity and still be reasonably up-to-date when it feels like there’s more news than ever? It’s a challenge so many of us are experiencing.”

AR: “Anyone trying to stay informed right now already knows what an arduous process it can be, but this survey and analysis from the Reuters Institute shows just how much people are feeling the fatigue of the news cycle. According to the data, 4 out of 10 Americans say they sometimes or often actively avoid the news. That’s a higher rate than 30 other countries, and it’s been going up and up—since before Trump and before the pandemic. It’s fascinating to see how these habits have changed over time and how they compare with other countries.”

AR: “‘Headline stress disorder’ is not an official diagnosis just yet, but it’s a very familiar malaise for many journalists and news consumers. Headlines are designed to provoke outrage and fear, but humans need a much wider range of experiences in order to thrive and fully engage with today’s world.”

AR: “This study, published way back in 2019 (if only they knew!), examines the ways media exposure and distress feed on each other. It's a vicious cycle, and the way the news is traditionally covered—with media outlets competing for eyeballs and attention—doesn’t help. This is a warning that everyone (especially parents) should pay attention to when deciding which news to consume–or avoid. ”

AR: “You might think that consuming the news makes you more informed. In fact, the opposite might be the case–especially when it comes to deeply polarized subjects. This fascinating study from More In Common found that the more news people consume, the more mistakes they make about their political opponents. ‘People who said they read the news most of the time were nearly three times more distorted in their perceptions than those who said they read the news only now and then,’ the study found. Wondering how accurate your own perceptions are? Take the quiz on the report homepage!”

AR: “This report tracks the depth and quality of climate coverage in the news media. In 2021, only a third of the climate coverage on broadcast TV news featured actual solutions to the crisis. But that was a significant improvement over past years, when the ratio was even lower.”

AR: “Here’s some truly good news, finally: David and his colleagues at the Solutions Journalism Network have now trained over 25,000 journalists worldwide to cover the news in ways that won’t make us sick. They report out serious stories about people trying to respond to problems–not just marinating in the problems. You can search any subject you are worried about in the Solutions Story Tracker. It’s a powerful way to get a fuller picture of the world. With the help of listeners, we also collected a short list of places that work to explain the world without deleting all the hope, agency and dignity from their stories. Many are local news outlets, but national news sources you might want to check out include The Christian Science Monitor, Reuters, and the BBC World Service for reporting that is less sensational and more worldly, The Marshall Project, Fixes by The New York Times, and Curious City by WBEZ.”

Listen to part two of How To for more details on improving your own news diet.