Civics: “Don’t Read the News”

Applied Divinity Studies:

One option is to rigorously fact check everything you read, but that’s cumbersome and still bottoms out somewhere. I found errors in the Stat article, but then took reports from the CDC at face value. More importantly, you just don’t have the time.

Instead, I propose a much simpler solution: don’t read the news.

Could it be that simple? Surely there are serious repercussions for being so dangerously and completely uninformed?

Here are some of the headlines on the front page of the New York Times:

  • See the complete list of insults President Trump posted on Twitter from 2015 to 2021.

  • Bryan Cranston tells Kara Swisher why he won’t play Donald Trump.

  • Biden’s Stimulus Plan Will Bring Relief, but There’s One Flaw

  • Joe Did It. But How?

  • Democrats Are About to Control Congress. What Will They Do?

  • Man Lived Undetected at O’Hare Airport for 3 Months, Officials Say

  • Improve Your Life With These Tiny Chores

I compiled those on January 18th when I wrote a first draft of this post. On the 25th as I prepare to publish, it’s not much better:

  • Are We Ready for a Monday Without Trump?

  • I Want to Call the Capitol Rioters ‘Terrorists.’ Here’s Why We Shouldn’t.

  • Something Special Just Happened in Russia

  • Ninja, a Gaming Superstar, Has a Message for Parents

  • Rupert Murdoch, Accepting Award, Condemns ‘Awful Woke Orthodoxy’

Wow! how can you not click those? How did Joe do it? What’s the one flaw of his stimulus plan? What are these tiny chores I can use to improve my life? Why won’t Bryan Cranston play Trump?

This is not news. It’s clickbait, and it’s bad for you. I don’t mean to pick on the NYT. It’s among the best of the popular outlets, and it is still horrible.

Here’s Aaron Swartz writing in 2006: