When you get home from work and turn on your television, what exactly are you looking for? Do you switch to the news for the latest breaking stories? Or, do you switch to some fluff to get the latest celebrity gossip?
Well, taking a wild guess, I would have to say most people would be channel surfing for a fluffly kind of show. Not necessarily to get the celebrity gossip, but something which requires no intellectual processing. Unfortunately, it is very easy to get glued to those silly no brainer shows (i.e. The Hills) which run late into the night. Although most reality shows are crappy, they do provide a temporary escapism from your hectic workday. Nevertheless between commericals, if you are flipping through channels, its hard to avoid CNN, BBC, FOX, ABC, NBC, and even CBC.
Unlike your other entertainment channels, the news can be boring, depressing and repetitive. Boring, in the sense that most stories are focused on the latest political scandal or the latest drop in the stock market. If you're not a hardcore poli sci fan or an economics junkie, both headlines will be dreadfully mind-numbing.
Depressing, especially when the whole world seems to be erupting in crisis. Last week, the Mumbai bombings sweeped the networks, giving viewers live-by updates from journalists stationed in the Indian city. This week, Zimbabwe's horrific cholera crisis and the deplorable Greek riots have consumed the networks.
Repetitive, in the sense that you hear the same 'updates' every hour.
Given that the holiday season is a time to be merry and jolly, I suggest you take a break from the news. Yes - take a break. Dont worry there's not much else that could go wrong with the liberal party.
Instead of the news, just sit back, relax and enjoy a few christmas shows.
Hopefully, in the new year, we can turn back on the telly, and the news will gives us something to smile about.
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