Fresh when it gets here from
Julie Barrett
Friday, March 14, 2008
Are you a news junkie, or not so much? Do you seek out news on tv, radio, in newspapers or online, or are you sick of the endless rehashing of the same issues? I realize it's all a continuum, from "I never watch the news" to "I keep it on all day, and read several newspapers" (or whatever). Maybe you vacillate, depending on what's going on in the world or your own life. What's your current level of interest?
This is an easy one. I'm an old journalist. (I'm feeling the "old" part very much today, but that's another tale.) So yes, I'm a bit of an information junkie.
The Interenet presents an almost overwhelming array of news and information. No, I don't read everything. (If I did, I'd never leave my chair.) I do, however, have a system that allows me to keep up with news without spending too much time. My first task in the morning (after e-mail) is to open up the RSS reader. I susbscribe to a number of feeds, and I pick and choose headlines that interest me, just like I would on news sites. Next, I visit my local newspaper sites, then one or two national news sites. Between Twitter (which runs in a gadget on my sidebar) and the RSS feeds, I usually know about breaking news.
I've almost given up on television news except for one network show we watch in the morning. And even that is for the local weather breaks. Television news has become more tabloid-style, it seems, and it just gets worse during the sweeps months. I like my news like my boiled eggs - hard.
Extra Credit: Is there a particular news story you have been following recently?
Well, the Eliot Spitzer story has certainly been a train wreck in the making. I've also been following the dealmaking on the Michigan and Florida primaries. There is also a local story I'm watching. A couple prominent in political circles died as a result of a murder-suicide over the weekend. Actually, it was a suicide pact. She had been in some trouble, but it was nothing compared to Spitzer or even what some other Dallas polticians are facing. The husband had been dealing with some serious health problems. It's a very sad, tragic story, and my heart goes out to their family. I can't imagine what their children must be going through right now.
So there ya go.
Tags: Weekend Assignment