Too Much “News” – Too Little Time?

One of the frustrations we all face is keeping up with the news. It’s like drinking from a fire hose. As election day approaches, the intensity grows with so many shrill voices competing for our attention. The temptation is to shut it all down.

Here is my suggestion: Find minds that you trust. There are journalists who dedicate their full time to understanding the news and who are honest brokers of the information you want but don’t have the time to ferret out for yourself. Read them first. Learn to scan. Learn healthy skepticism.

Here is my list of credible voices:

• Heather Cox Richardson – Letters from an American
• Doug Muder – Weekly Sift
• Judd Legum – Popular Information
• David Kurtz – Talking Points Memo

I subscribe to the Washington Post, New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, The Guardian, Courier Times, New Yorker, and Atlantic. I read very selectively. I do not watch TV news because I can’t scan and skip. It’s too easy to mindlessly take in information that has been sanitized or sanewashed.

Here is an excerpt from *Credible?*, my book on how to know what’s authentic in the media. It describes how you can hone your sensitivity to propaganda and recognize when you should be skeptical.