The 24-Hour News Cycle is a Lie
Look, I’ve been in this business for 22 years. I started at a tiny paper in Cedar Rapids, Iowa—yeah, the one from the movie—and I’ve seen it all. Or at least I thought I had, then the internet happened. And now? It’s a mess. A completley, unholy mess.
You wanna know why? Because the 24-hour news cycle is a lie. It’s a construct. A fantasy sold to us by cable news execs and social media algorithms. News doesn’t happen 24/7. It’s not a river. It’s not a tap. It’s… well, it’s more like a faucet that someone keeps turning on and off. But we’re all so addicted to the drip, drip, drip that we can’t look away.
I remember back in ’04, during the Iowa caucuses, we had this one guy—let’s call him Marcus—who insisted on filing a story every hour. Every. Single. Hour. Even when nothing happened. He’d call me at 3 AM, slurring his words, saying, ‘Ed, I gotta file something.’ And I’d say, ‘Marcus, go to bed. The world isn’t ending.’ But he couldn’t. Because the cycle demands content. Always.
And now? It’s worse. It’s not just Marcus. It’s everyone. It’s you. It’s me. It’s that guy who tweeted about the pizza he had for lunch. We’re all complicit.
But Wait, There’s More
So last Tuesday, I was at a conference in Austin—yeah, the one where it’s hotter than the surface of the sun—and I ran into an old colleague named Dave. We got coffee at this place on 5th, and he told me something that stuck with me. He said, ‘Ed, we’re not reporting news anymore. We’re reporting reactions to news. Reactions to reactions. It’s an echo chamber, and it’s getting louder.’
Which… yeah. Fair enough. I mean, look at how we cover politics now. It’s not about policy. It’s about tweets. It’s about soundbites. It’s about who said what when. And honestly? It’s exhausting.
I had this friend—let’s call her Linda—who swore off news entirely. Cold turkey. She said, ‘Ed, I can’t take it anymore. It’s like living in a house with a leaky roof. You can’t ignore it, but you can’t fix it either. So you just… live with the drip.’ And I get that. I really do.
But Here’s the Thing
We can’t just ignore it. Because that’s how democracies die. Slowly. Quietly. One ignored headline at a time. But we also can’t keep living like this. The stress. The anxiety. The constant noise. It’s not sustainable.
So what’s the answer? I’m not sure but maybe it’s about finding a balance. Maybe it’s about being more intentional with our news comittment. Maybe it’s about taking a step back. A digital detox, if you will. (And hey, if you’re looking for a practical guide, check out this dijital detoks pratik rehber—it might help.)
I mean, think about it. What if we only consumed news at certain times of the day? What if we turned off notifications? What if we actually read articles instead of just scrolling past headlines? What if we demanded more from the people reporting the news? What if we stopped sharing stuff we hadn’t read? What if, what if, what if…
But then again, maybe I’m just dreaming. Maybe the cycle is too strong. Maybe we’re all too far gone. I don’t know. I honestly don’t.
A Tangent: The Time I Quit News Cold Turkey
So about three months ago, I tried something crazy. I quit news cold turkey. For a week. No TV. No radio. No internet. Nothing. And you know what? It was amazing. I slept better. I was less anxious. I actually talked to people. It was like I’d been holding my breath for years and finally took a deep one.
But then Monday rolled around, and I was back at it. Because, let’s face it, I’m a news junkie. It’s my drug. And I’m not sure I’ll ever kick the habit.
But maybe you can. Maybe you can find a better way. A healthier way. A way that doesn’t involve constant stress and anxiety. I don’t know. But I hope so.
Anyway, that’s enough from me. I’m gonna go find some actual news to read. Or maybe I’ll just take a nap. Who knows?
About the Author
Ed Thompson has been a journalist for 22 years, working at everything from small-town papers to major publications. He’s seen the industry change dramatically and isn’t always a fan of what it’s become. When he’s not writing, he’s probably napping or eating pizza. Probably both.
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