Reading & Listening to the News

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Questions

• Your go-to alternative news sites resources
• News digest or concise news source sought
• Listening to the news around young children
• Coping with all the bad news
• Intelligent Local News?
• When to introduce children to the news?

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Your go-to alternative news sites resources

May 2015

I would love to hear what your favorite non-mainstream alternative news and media resources are, spanning everything from super local coverage to worldwide, but also including arts and humanities as well. I listen to KPFA often and find out about a lot of stuff that way, but I would love to expand my horizons even more and feel like this community could offer me some real gems in this regard. Thank you. curious outside the box thinker

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Berkeleyside! (http://www.berkeleyside.com/)

Hyperlocal news about our beloved/behated city.

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I'm looking forward to reading other answers. I like theweek.com and for my inner intellectual, http://scopeblog.stanford.edu Not exactly sure what you mean by alternative (everyone's definition will be different!) but it's not CNN.

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News digest or concise news source sought

Aug 2011

I am looking for a service or subscription that provides daily, short, pithy, but fairly comprehensive world news--just a thorough summary of main events of the previous day around the world. I imagine that with the internet there would even be such a service that would allow me to 'filter' for more coverage of certain parts of the world or certain kinds of news. But again, my goal is to be well informed in just a few minutes' reading without having to wade through features, human-interest stories, Hollywood updates, and so forth.

The NYT is fine but not concise for what I mean, and NPR's 'All Things Considered' has too many features and too much commentary for my taste. News fan with no time

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Members of Audible.com are entitled to a free daily download of either the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal Audible Digest. The digest is less than one hour of listening, covers headline news, international, national, sports and two editorials e.g. Paul Krugman is a frequent contributor). If you skip the sports highlights it is about 40 minutes.

One becomes an Audible member by buying some credits from the website. You do not have to buy a lot, nor is there any annual subscription. Just leave at least a few credits in your account.

You can listen while working out or doing work that requires less than total concentration, such as weeding, dusting, etc. A friend even listens while she is falling asleep (she is single however.)

It is sufficient to keep one informed, but a look at photographs on line or in print from time to time is advisable. Lynn S

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There are many options for getting the news you want. You can pick any periodical using RSS which stands for Really Simple Subscription and have it sent to your MY YAHOO page or any home page you use---Google, etc. For example, in the NY Times you can select just The World and have 3-7 headlines sent to you a day. You can go to AP and do the same thing. I wasn't sure if you wanted someone set it up for you--but I highly recommend David of Personable Computers if you do. He set me up with NY Times World, Berkeley local news, AP, LA Times, Washington Post & Market Watch. This way when I log on to my homepage I see about 4-5 headlines from each paper & can decide which ones I want to read. Putting your cursor over the headline brings up an expanded headline, or you can click on the headline to read the full article. David can be reached @ davidpiper123 [at] gmail.com. Best of Luck, Fellow News Junkie

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Have you tried Google News? You will probably need to make a gmail account to personalize it. You can adjust the kinds of news you want (more world and national news, less entertainment and sports for me). You can adjust news sources (more from NYT for me, less ESPN for example). I have a local section with headlines from Berkeley. It lays out headlines with roughly the first line of each story. I find it a quick way to get an idea of what is happening in the world.

I also like news.bbc.co.uk for news that isn't quite as US centered. jessica

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Listening to the news around young children

May 2011

My main source of news is the radio: mostly NPR, although I can occasionally get Pacifica as well. I like to have it on when I get home from work and am making dinner. Sometimes I stream it while at work, if I''m doing some task that can accommodate my brain multi-tasking. In the past year, however, my child (now five) has started listening intently to the news when it is on, and is asking many questions about the terrible stories that are on. What are guns? How do bombs work? Why do people kill one another? How may people, especially children, died in the Haiti earthquakes? and so on. We have always been very open about the social justice piece of any part of a news story (e.g., explaining the reasons behind the Egypt uprisings, why it took so long to get assistance to Haiti, etc.). However, my child's kinder teacher advised us to stop exposure to the upsetting part of the news. So I stopped listening at home--and I admit that my child is MUCH more relaxed and happy than before.

But I miss my news, and I feel extremely out of touch from the world. So my question is: where do you get your news? I have considered the paper but it is so limited, we don't have TV, and by the end of day I am pretty sick of being in front of a screen. all things considered

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At night, after my family has gone to bed, I often listen to the BBC world service streaming on my laptop. I have good little speakers on my laptop, but you could also use headphones. KQED does run one hour of BBC News at 9 pm as well.

If you have a 4th generation ipod or an iphone, there is a great little app called ''TuneIn Radio'' which allows you to listen to the stream of 100s if not 1000s of radio stations around the world. (Wireless is needed for the ipod) I love it for listening to KCRW, BBC, CBC and other stations.

I also spend plenty of evening time reading news on my laptop when I read the New York Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph, etc., but you said you don't want more screentime, so never mind that suggestion.

I guess I'm a little bit of a news junkie, huh? always current, it's a hobby

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I listen to NPR podcasts on my iPhone using headphones while cooking and doing dishes. Maybe a little portable radio with a headset would do the trick? Not missing the news

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How about listening to podcasts? We also love NPR, don't have a TV, and have a precocious 3-year-old son who picks up EVERYTHING. We've also had to really censor what we listen to. We do get the NY Times, which is a great paper, but it's sometimes hard to find time to read it. I love the radio because I can listen to it while taking care of things around the house. You can get a number of NPR programs on podcasts or online. I've started listening to it when I have time and my son is not around to hear it - after he goes to bed, in the morning before he gets up, in the car on the way to work. I can pick and choose the programs that most interest me regardless of what they happen to have on air at that moment. I still don't get to hear everything I might like to, but it helps a lot! No question that it's better that the kids don't hear certain things at this age. It's too scary and confusing. Another NPR junkie

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IMO, keep listening to the news as you did. Your child will be better for it. If your child's worldly knowledge is a challenge to the teacher, that sounds like the teacher's problem. Rather than cutting the child'd knowledge of the world, can you coach your child to limit discussions at school? Explain that not everyone has the maturity to discuss these topics and his class (and teacher) is one of those places? ignorance is not bliss

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I have no opinion on whether your child should hear the news or not, or at what age they should be exposed. For now, do you have a smartphone that can stream radio? Do you have an iPod that you can download the NPR podcasts to, or some other music player? You could put the player in your pocket or attach it to you while listening - you'll still be able to hear your family over the headphones. Anon

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I have also gotten my news from the radio for years but it is time to stop. The selection of the stories, the violence of the language, the obvious slanting towards the most cynical aspects of mainstream culture, the movie-voiceover, ominous sound of the newscasters' voices--I've had it. In fact, Dr. Andrew Weil's program for health includes turning off the news. Four minutes on any news site online gives you the headlines, and then to really know what's going on in the world, I'm now a big fan of the relatively new quarterly publication, ''Positive News.'' Stories of success and generosity around the world. It's been a great gift idea, too. www.positivenewsus.org No news is... good news!

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I miss my NPR too! I turned it off not so much because they were paying attention to the subject matter and that had an impact on them, but because with kids I was having a lot more communicating to do at times like breakfast -- conversations about schedules, homework, etc. -- and adding Renee Montagne on top of that was just more than I could handle. I'm impressed that you can have it on as background while you work. One thing I do now is listen to a lot more NPR podcasts, during workout times or my commute, and that's worked well for me. You won't get as much up-to-the-minute news, although that's available too, it just requires more regular syncing. Do you have any sort of iPod you could use for podcasts? I have a couple of favorite podcasts automatically downloaded to the iTunes on our home computer, and every time I plug in my Nano it loads them on. The new iPod Nano even has an FM receiver, so you could just listen to live, if your commute/workout/whatever permits that (as a crossbay BART commuter, that's not possible for me - hence the benefit of the podcasts). There's also an NPR app for the iPhone/iTouch/iPad, which gives access to live station streams, but I haven't really explored that. I'm happy with my once-a-day synced podcasts.

I do think I'll add back in Morning Edition at some point. I grew up with it as the breakfast soundtrack, although I think probably not until I was around 8 or 9 (there are major news stories from earlier that I have no memory of, so I think my parents must have shielded us from them). I do read more news online now. Born with a public radio totebag in my hand

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I like to listen to Democracy Now or KPFA news and Your Call Radio. I download these programs to my mp3 player (also has a radio) and listen to them with earphones at the gym or while I'm cooking or taking a walk. Maybe you could listen with just one ear phone so you could still know what your child is up to. Anonymous

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Hi - my husband also wants to listen to radio news constantly. We got him an I-pod explicitly for this purpose, so he now listens to the news with earphones all day. It can be a bit irritating as he won't hear something said to him bc he has the earphones in but it sounds like it could be a fix for your concerns. radio spouse

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I have an idea for you to be able to listen to news now and then without your children hearing. Either get a phone with a data plan and stream the NPR station, or get a phone with an fm radio. Put on your headsets when you're doing housework and the kids are busy, or even the earbud in one ear and you can listen and hear what the kids are up to too. happy npr listener anon

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Have you considered an ipod? You can listen to pod casts of some NPR shows and there are other shows that you can only get online. This may enable you to listen at times that you otherwise wouldn't be able to. Unfortunately, All Things Considered is not available as a podcast. anon

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I joke that I get all my information from the New Yorker and the Berkeley Parents Network, lol, but it's not far from the truth. I also get The Week, which is a digest version of major occurrences, news around the world.

I never read the newspaper, and I only tune into radio or TV news when there is a major occurence in the works. I used to read a paper and a half/day. Haven't done that for a few years - I don't feel uninformed, and am happily out of touch with things like, say, the Schwarzenegger split, which I only learned about when someone mentioned it to me many days after it happened. Of course, it turned up in The Week, too. If it's important for me to know, it's very likely that I'll find it out. jessica

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How about listening to the news on an iPod or similar device? If you don't want to block people out, you could listen with just one ear bud in.

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Coping with all the bad news

April 2009

Hi - I'm just wondering how others in this community are coping with (what feels like to me) an abundance of really bad news lately. Starting with the newspaper, moving onto tv, online, phone calls from friends, it's all grim - close friends laid off of work, local school system in dire straights due to budget cuts, IRA cut in half in just year, economy circling the drain, illness in my peer group. And then there are the really heartbreaking losses (just before my niece's Bat Mitzvah two weeks ago, a classmate fell to her death from balcony while on cell phone with her dad); and my reservoir of how to manage the generally bad news is so filled up I barely have room for the more dreadful news, and I'm just haunted by it. So I'm wondering how folks are feeling about the current climate, how upset people are, and what coping strategies are in place to get through this dark time. thanks

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Yes, it does seem like lots of dark things are going on. I was most emotionally hit by the death of the little girl in Tracy. But, if we look at statistics, probably not more is going on than usual. In part it is that the news thrives on doom and gloom. My advice is make a list of all the good things in your life: friends, children, nieces/nephews, pets, how good your favorite flower smells, your favorite food and how good it tastes. Turn off the news for a few days. Get together with a friend and do something you like. Exercise like walking or running makes me feel much better (especially better than being a lump on the sofa watching mindless TV). I am also enjoying reading a lovely autobiography by a local author: ''Rhonda -- the first ninety years.'' Seriously, as I walk around the neighborhood, I have been enjoying smelling the roses and lilacs, hearing all the bird songs. It does make me feel better. We will get through all this stuff -- we are an adaptable species! kl

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Unplug! As a news junkie, I will tell you from experience: unplug. I was getting so depressed and the more I listened, the more depressed I got. I switched to music in the morning instead of NPR. I reduced my time to read the paper. It doesn't alleviate any personal bad news, but I also had to shift my focus. While you still need to be there for friends who lose jobs or face death, you need to seek out joy as well. Be there for the joys in the lives of friends and family. Recognize what you can control and what you can't. Live. tired of all the bad news too

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I think at least part of it is the news, which makes reality seem far bleaker than it is. OK, unemployment is 8.5% - that still means over 90% employment, right? In the Great Depression, the level of unemployment was triple that, and women weren't even part of the workforce. Anyway... I would just stop listening to the news. Or limit yourself the Sunday New York Times, the world news section, so you get the big stuff. You don't HAVE to know about the latest child abduction. Breathe, exercise, and meditate. Unplugged.

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I know how you feel. I got pregnant in December, just as the trickle of bad news was turning into a flood. It got to the point where I just couldn't take it any more. The main thing I did was switch from NPR to music in the car. It sounds minor, but it has really helped. In my job it is important that I am informed about world events, so two or three times a week I get caught up on all the awful news. Then I turn it off.

The other thing I do is try to remember that these times aren't unique, and people have survived worse than this before. My mother was born in 1930, and my grandmother raised nine children during the Depression. I figure if she could do it, maybe I can too. anon

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1) stop reading newspapers and watching TV news. Seriously! The media thrives off bad news and makes more money during hard times when they sensationalize everything. Times are tough now, but the media will always portray everything as much worse than it really it.

2) Realize that everything goes in cycles, esp. the economy. It will rebound, there will be jobs, we just need to ride out the tough times as best we can. Remind yourself that things will get better!

3) Donate to a local charity, or better yet volunteer! Taking action and doing something to help will go a long way to helping you cope. Andi

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I'm with you! In the last few weeks several people I am close to have had it really rough - cancer, death, job loss (which ranks pretty low on the spectrum, comparatively). Depressing news sells, so you think newspapers would be making $$ hand over fist, but instead they're going out of business. Oh, and now we're back to talking about depressing news again....

I find the best way to deal with it is to focus on the kids. After you're hearing awful news on the radio, turn it off for a while. I look at my 16 month old who's favorite activity is pouring water on the floor, and she doesn't give a hoot about the stock market! When the conversation with adults turns grim, just change it to something more positive & interesting - kids, weather, your garden, fitness - positive things. Good luck! Sick of depressing news too!

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I suggest a 'news fast'. Just turn it all off (no news radio, no TV/computer news, no newspapers), don't subject yourself to the world's woes for awhile. Certainly there is plenty you'll still get on a personal level with friends and family. And start a gratitude practice, noticing and focusing on beauty and kindness on a daily basis. Talk about them out loud with your kids. As they say, we create our world by what we choose to focus on. I know it doesn't diminish the reality of what is happening on a larger level, but it does help to reset your equilibrium. I never watch TV/computer news anymore because it's so hard to get those images out of my mind. I prefer a newspaper because I can choose to read the article or not, or skim the first paragraph; in other words I take control of what I expose myself to. And then when you can, work for justice. The Talmud says: Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it. Bonnie

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Hi there! I read your email and was drawn into your world for a brief moment and couldn't bring myself to read it fully again because it caused me so much anxiety and dread. You seem to be not only overwhelmed, but also quite engrossed in all the bad news. So engrossed that you readily share it with all the BPN community in horrific detail. Did we really need to learn the fate of that poor girl on the balcony? I believe that this may be human nature or at the very least that we have been conditioned to look at the accident scene, stay tuned for the latest perverse occurence, etc. The media knows this and that is why this stuff gets the ratings. I was an avid news follower and could always recite the latest number of homicides with any accompanying details, until last year. Last year I became overwhelmed with all the negativity and found that it did not enrich me as a person, mother, friend, conversationalist, spouse. Sure I was appropriately horrified, and empathized with their plight, shook my head or cried in anguish, but then I tuned in again at 11, seeking out the latest news. So I finally just stopped all news, and found that I did not need to steep myself morning, noon, and night in other people's tragedies. Quit fooling yourself, the world won't end if you don't know the latest disaster they are announcing. In fact, you won't even get to work faster by knowing that two or three lanes have been closed. Is it tough to give up, sure. Given that one is bombarded by newsflashes online even when trying not to, I have had to fight the urge to find out details on the latest local tragedy, but I know it is not good for my soul. So I try not to crane my neck to see the accident scene and instead just say a small prayer for the people involved. What else do I do to stay calm and connected? I try to feel grateful for my health, family, friends. I try to fix the things that I can fix. I am present and engaged in helping others where I can and when I can. I work daily to stay calm and positive. I realize that it is my responsibility to fill my time, and energy with what I want in my life. We must all deal with daily frusterations, and sometimes much worse. Save your energy for dealing with those instead of looking for additional burdens. Anon

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I try really hard not to listen to the news or read the paper, I feel that hearing about horrible things doesn't help me. Of course, sometimes I just listen to the headlines, like on KCBS 740am so I am not too out of it, but I find that not being able to converse about this with friends and acquaintenances is not a problem. Of course, the more personal problems of friends, is a much more difficult one. I do try to practice stuff I have heard from Eckart Tolle and his book The Power of Now, which is...what is happening in this moment, this very moment, and often I am having a very pleasant moment. I have also gone to therapy for support in dealing with some sadness and loss and all the feelings that are brought up with those issues. doing the best I can

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It is overwhelming. Stop watching the news, cancel your newspaper subscription, and lose any news-related websites that you have bookmarked or buttons for. If you need a news fix, set www.happynews.com as your homepage. Last year I was going through some rough times, and I made a commitment to only read spiritually uplifting books for the whole year: no tortured Russian novels, no stories of child abuse survivors, only uplifting things.

While I think it's good to be informed, it can be too much: there was a period of time a few years ago that I had such terrible nightmares every night that I began to fear sleep. Guess what? I was in the habit of listening to the radio while I fell asleep, and so the last thing I heard at night were terrible stories of doom and gloom. They affect you. And get some exercise. kevin

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I too have been having a terrible time with all this bad news. In a recent advice given post, someone mentioned Ho'oponopono as a way of dealing with conflict in a relationship. I'd never heard of this and followed the link they sent which describes a Hawaiian healing process of taking responsibility for everything. The theory is that we are not powerless, and though these things may not necessarily be ''our fault'', we can still do something to fix them, simply by apologizing for them. I tend to be a non-theistic, rational thinker, but this has really helped me to feel less powerless about all of the awful things going on around us. The link that the poster gave (http://www.baerbelmohr.de/content/view/168/7/) described just saying ''I'm sorry. I love you'' over and over to yourself/to no one/everyone, but I've added my own embellishment that works for me--so what I say is ''Peace Love Understanding I'm Sorry; Peace Love Understanding I Love You''. I do this whenever I start to feel overwhelmed by the news. It seems to have helped me, and who knows, maybe the world.

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Just from a very practical standpoint, it has really helped me not to have television. I have no cable, thus no reception, and only use my TV for dvds from netflix. I read the papers online - this way I can read what interests me and can titrate it to my tolerance on a given day. I notice when I don't use my car I listen to a lot less NPR. It is remarkable how much it helps not to be receiving all this radio and TV coverage. It's not that I am remaining ignorant, but reading allows me to be more thoughtful and to choose - some sense of control when much is uncontrollable. Also, tv and radio are noisy - research shows that noise is stressful on humans and other animals, whether or not we are aware of it. It is cumulative with other stressors. anon

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Keep a ''Gratitude Journal'' -- mine works wonders for me. I do it on my computer email and just keep it in the Drafts folder. Each day I write down one thing (or more) that I'm grateful for that day, that moment, whatever comes to mind. Sometimes it's just a quiet moment that I had that made me thankful. It's totally spontaneous and when I read it back from time to time, I'm SO grateful that I kept it.

Steer clear of the news and count your blessings. It's a start.

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Intelligent Local News?

Oct 2008

After returning to the bay area after many years on the east coast, I realized I have no idea where people get their unbiased, intelligent local news coverage these days. I'm baffled in looking over the many propositions & local votes for the upcoming elections, and would appreciate recommendations on where to read up (in print or online) on local/state issues. Just seems like the Chronicle/Examiner are wanting in serious news/opinion coverage, and the East Bay Express ain't what it used to be. Thanks Baffled in Berkeley

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I respect Jeff Hobson's well-researched, thoughtful comments on all the issues and I make a point of reading his opinions before I vote in each election. I also appreciate that he takes the time to research the Oakland measures and political races even though he lives in Berkeley himself! He started in 2000 with an e-mail to friends and acquaintances, but now he posts his voting recommendations at: http://caelections.blogspot.com Jen V

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When to introduce children to the news?

Nov 2006

My 1st grader is a great reader and although she reads the comics in the newspaper, I wouldn't allow her to browse a newspaper. I am a real current affairs/news junkie myself, but can't imagine what age would be appopriate for news for children. My stomach turns when I imagine picking up a front page with a story about a child abuser or murder and thinking how I would explain nearly anything to her. I heard that Linda Ellerbee does a Nick Jr news show - is that OK for a primary school child? When do you introduce news? Anon

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Once they start reading well, it's very tricky. We try to hide disturbing stories from my 10-year-old, and no longer bring The Onion, and The Bay Guardian into the house. It's tricky though. We listen to the BBC, and NPR, and that's where our child has gotten most of her news info. When really disturbing stories (child abuse/sex crimes/our government committing torture) come up, we try to turn off the radio.We don't watch TV, so we don't have to deal with the news visuals in that intense format. Sometimes we don't succeed in hiding the news and then we talk about it. So far it seems ok, but you wish you could shield them for longer. anon

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The Newspaper Association of America offers a Parent Newspaper Guide at this url: http://www.naafoundation.org/upload/parent-newspaper-guide-englishonly.pdf

Take a look at the exercises and you'll see children, even pre-readers, can work on analysis and communication skills with the newspaper. The exercises are pretty much based on parent and child reading and working together, so young children are not really browsing unsupervised --Liz