How to Go On a News Diet

June 07, 2024

“What you focus on expands.”

–T. Harv Eker

How to Go On a News Diet

“No news is good news” may be more true today than ever before. The adage can trace its roots back to King James who in 1616 wrote, “No newis is bettir than evill newis.” And that was 390 years before Facebook started serving up news media.

2020 cured me of my need to be constantly informed. Running a business is hard enough without the constant drumbeat of negativity and outrage.

Lots of entrepreneurs talk about going on a “news fast.” This is where you give up all forms of news media. The motive is to eliminate non-productive and negative inputs. When people inevitably ask, “But how do you stay informed?” The most common response is “If the news is important enough, someone will tell me.” A total fast felt too extreme for me. So, I went on a “news diet.”

Today, I’m happy to report that it has been successful. I’ve shed pounds of angst and feel psychologically trimmer and fitter than ever before.

Since our current election cycle promises to be a historic exchange of dubious claims and divisive ideas, I thought I’d share my “News Dieting Rules.”

1. Choose What’s Relevant

Back in the days of the village gazette, everything was relevant. In small towns, everyone knows everyone. If someone’s home burned or their cow was lost, you probably knew them. You could bring them a casserole or offer to search for Bessie. If a big storm was brewing, you could make sure there was water and a lantern in the storm cellar. Most of the news was relevant and actionable. Neither is true today.

In a world of 8 billion people, improbable one-in-a-million things happen 8,000 times a day. And the most interesting or provocative situation will be splashed on headlines with instantaneous reporting. Virtually none of what we read, hear, and see in the media is actionable and relevant to our daily lives. Yes, we want to know about historic events happening around the globe, but how much do we need to know today? There is a thin line between being informed and being inundated.

Decide what you want to be informed about and narrow your focus. You can set your parameters based on your needs and curiosity: if politics, social issues, or anything else is your beat, you can start curating your news to deliver more of what is relevant for you and less of what you isn’t. I personally follow business, my favorite sports teams, puzzles (yes, I play Wordle daily), real estate, books, entertainment, art, some geopolitics, and a smidgeon of local and national politics. This is relevant to me and my work.

2. Pick Your Sources

There are pros and cons to every source. Choose wisely.

Social media features news often as it happens. It’s also churning with misinformation and propaganda. And this could get categorically better or worse with AI. Algorithms are designed to hold our attention, so they need to serve up stories that trigger strong emotions. Radio and TV news, like social, is fueled by ad dollars. They share a positive financial incentive to deliver negative news. If it bleeds, it leads….No bueno for me.

The print media, of which I’m most familiar, is all over the map. Every paper or magazine has financial incentives to earn a profit. They are run by people with agendas and no journalist can achieve perfect impartiality. Still, a few have traditions, reputations, and ethical codes to uphold and seem to be trying.

I’m a reader and a writer. So I selected two national newspapers with 100+ year track records. One slants liberal. One slants conservative. Someone smarter than me said, “If you can’t intelligently argue for both sides of an issue, you don’t understand the issue well enough to argue for either.” I’m not reading to argue, but I’ve found getting more than one perspective to be helpful. I also read a handful of newsletters from entrepreneurs, economists, and historians.

3. Consume News on a Schedule

Very little of what happens can be accurately reported in real-time. In the moment, no one knows the larger importance of what’s happened. There is no perspective and little fact-checking. The only exception to this rule is the weather. Forecasts tend to be most accurate a day or so out. I do want to know if a tornado is barreling down the turnpike toward my home.

I have friends and family that have a TV perpetually tuned to the news in the background. This is not a healthy strategy for me. I choose to read the news for about 30 minutes in the morning with my coffee. This is completely arbitrary. My parents read the papers in the morning and the habit stuck for me. One positive is I’ve had time to digest the news before I’m asked about it in a professional setting.

4. Opinion Is Not Reporting

Even worldwide, most days don’t have nearly enough real news to fill the 24-hour news cycle on TV and radio. Virtually, everything on the networks is opinion. It’s just smart people interpreting and reinterpreting old news. Or worse, they are making predictions about what might happen. Print news is also loaded with fluff.

The two newspapers I selected helpfully label opinion articles as “opinion” or “editorial.” I rarely dip into these. When I do, I soon realize I’m just reading one-half of an argument.

These “dieting” rules have served me well. I’ve managed to stay mostly informed without being needlessly triggered. I recaptured epochs of lost time. Our inputs determine our outputs. This is especially true with media. We moderate what our children watch and read. We’d be wise to take our own advice.

One question to ponder in your thinking time: How can I be more thoughtful about the media I consume?

Co-author of The One Thing & The Millionaire Real Estate Agent ​