The Week – The Antidote to News Overload
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Table of Contents
What Happened?
Protests over the deaths of Minnesota legislator and her husband has spread throughout the nation since their deaths have triggered uproar, while at the same time the Department of Justice requested that grand jury testimony related to Jeffrey Epstein’s indictment be unsealed after uproar over a Wall Street Journal article detailing Trump and Epstein’s relationship.
Multiple states are forecasting hot and humid conditions this week, which may feel even hotter than triple digit temps.
Daughter of murdered Minnesota politician remembers them as “bright lights at the center of our lives.” However, Justice Department request to release Epstein grand jury testimony may not meet critics’ approval while President can maintain control of National Guard troops stationed in California after federal appeals court ruling.
What Can We Learn?
As you read today’s news reports, take note of their often pessimistic tone. Examples may include warnings of impending tsunamis or ancient libraries threatened by beetles – or stories such as one man trying to climb Everest without oxygen.
Gathering as much information about an imminent threat can be tempting, but doing so may put us in danger of overexposure. People living in Hurricane Irma’s path were most affected psychologically from its news coverage; those further from its path experienced less.
This lesson helps students appreciate the difficulties both journalists and consumers encounter when reporting breaking news events. They examine several news reports from days immediately following the Ferguson shooting to gain insight into its progression; and explore how journalists’ coverage helped police locate and apprehend suspects more quickly. Ultimately, students discuss strategies they can employ to avoid news fatigue.
What Can We Do?
Sorrowful stories and headlines filling our media channels can quickly leave us feeling stressed out, yet there are steps you can take to manage headline stress and prevent trigger-inducing content. One such strategy is muting topics or channels causing anxiety; another option would be reading or listening to something more calming instead of reading news articles; taking a social media detox is another effective solution for doing just this.
