Where should I get my news from?

Dear Aunty B,

Is the world ending or not? I read the news and it is doom and gloom and then I go home and it is more doom and gloom on the telly.

How do I navigate my way through all this news? I used to be a one tabloid paper a day man who watched the ABC at night for a bit of balance and I felt I had a far better grasp on what was going on. Now I run my own business I am trying to read more widely but I am just finding it more confusing.

Gavin,
NSW

Dear Gavin,

Well of course you felt better when you were a one paper a day man. You were probably getting the viewpoint of Rupert Murdoch every day. It is very comforting being told what to think. But it is also very limiting. As you say, you are reading more news sources. I would argue that what you are feeling is common to all thinking people. You are making up your own mind and with it comes a sense of uncertainty. You are no longer handing over your brain to a single source that tells you how and what to feel. You are formulating your own worldview.

I did come across some interesting statistics from Roy Morgan the other day though that may interest you. People who were reading digital media appeared to be more optimistic than those reading traditional media. In fact there were significant differences between those people who read Business Spectator and Crikey expecting good times next year compared to those who read The Age, Herald Sun and Daily Telegraph. This could mean lots of different things but what you can take from it is this: keep reading widely and you will not just get a broad range of news and opinion but you will also get a mixed view on where things are heading.

Read specialist media which delves more deeply into topics, relies on experts and is less sensationalist than other sources of media. But stay across more general media, not least to understand general patterns, news and trends in society and your community. The fact is we are in confusing times. There is enormous change sweeping the world. But while change is unsettling, it is also really exciting, especially if you can see what’s coming around the corner. So get used to that feeling of uncertainty and understand that people who feel that way are the ones that search and find the answers.

Be smart,
Your Aunty B

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