Never Watch the News: Here’s Why

How often do you read a newspaper? Watch the nightly news? OR Check CNN.com for the latest headlines? My guess is way too often.

Photo Credit: ShironekoEuro

I limit my news consumption to the smallest degree necessary. In other words, I don’t subscribe to any newspapers, or watch the nightly news, or check CNN.com for any updates – ever.

This is why you should NEVER watch the news.

Negative In – Negative Out

Fear sells newspapers. Death, destruction, mayhem, and sensationalism are all wonderful marketing tools that glue your eyeballs to the tube, paper, and website. News media outlets are profitable because you can’t stop watching all of the horrors of the world flash before your eyes.

Imagine a newspaper that only reported on puppies being adopted, boy scouts helping old ladies cross the street, or homeless people getting a hot meal. Would you really watch FOX NEWS or MSNBC if the anchors complimented politicians on both sides of the aisle while never talking dirt on anyone?

The news is synonymous with negativity. The more news you consume, the more negativity, fear, and shallow thinking enter your brain. Is it any surprise that at any given moment most Americans are nervous about the economy? Fearful of another war? Or concerned about the latest bill in Congress that will likely never affect them personally – ever?

What you read, watch, and listen to deeply affects how you think and what you believe to be true about yourself and the world around you.

Shut it Down

My initial desire to cut the news from my life came from Darren Hardy, the publisher of SUCCESS Magazine. Darren presented a keynote speech at the Experts Industry Association where he discussed the magnitude of his hatred of news media. It’s a great video and highly recommend it.

Darren also wrote an excellent blog post called Is Wolf Blitzer Hurting America? You can’t miss this one. His passion is oozing out of every paragraph.

My recommendation is to shut down your news consumption completely. Starting today, begin a 30-day trial where you do the following:

1. Don’t watch ANY television news programs (including opinion shows like The O’Reilly Factor or The Rachel Maddow Show). In fact, don’t watch TV at all. There’s not much out there that will stimulate intelligent thought.
2. Don’t listen to ANY radio programs that report the news. Stick to Pandora or Sirius for commercial free music. Even better – listen to personal development audio programs whenever possible.
3. Don’t read ANY newspapers, news blogs, or online columns that focus on current events. Read books, blogs, and magazines that enrich your life.

A Compromise

There are a few exceptions to the extremism I discussed in the 30-day trial:

• I would not neglect any current event news that directly affect your career or daily work. A rare few jobs and industries require you know what is happening, but not many.
• Your immediate safety is important. I’m not recommending you ignore updates on the forest fire in your back yard.

Is This Really Necessary?

Reducing or eliminating news from your life may sound a bit ridiculous, but I promise you it’s not. It is amazing to me how clearly I think, dream, and create when I intentionally consume positive information.

This IS necessary. 99.99% of the news truly is harmful. I would love to recommend a great news show to you that reports on current events without all the negativity, but I have never found one.