(rant mode)

I'm getting really annoyed with the "news" at the moment. Whilst I accept that there are economic challenges at the moment, I think it's made worse by the media bending statistics and facts in the pursuit of some dramatic art that bears little resemblance to factual reporting. I think the media is partly to blame for this recession by winding everyone up - it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. It's the recession at the moment, but we've had Bird Flu in the past, and global warming is still on the agenda when there's nothing else for them to be depressing about. I remember water shortages about 2/3 years ago, with hosepipe bans etc - and lines from the press like "it will take 10 years of solid rain to replace the lost reserves" - now we hear nothing about it. My wife remembers us being on the verge of an ice age about 20-30 years ago - what happened to that story?

I had this idea that everyone in the UK should boycott reading/watching/listening to the news for a day in protest. Problem is, I'm not sure it would take off - 'cos you need the news to tell people about the protest day.

Anyway, I did a quick web search and found this: http://www.boingboing.net/2008/05/14/day-w...o-news-bri.html

How refreshing!

(end of rant mode)

The "news" is at it all the time.

I just watch it for the sport now.

Poor Paul Ince.

i know exactly what you mean. for years my alarm clock has woken me up with my local bbc radio station (radio bristol), which has a breakfast show consisting of local 'news'. However a couple of months ago, it occured to me that stories about trees being chopped down (to local opposition), pubs that closing (to local opposition) or pubs that are opening (to local opposition!) isnt really important. What gets me is they would chat for an hour about weston-s-ms pier burning down and speak to dozens of talking heads but get nowhere. The final straw was when i woke up to the sound of my deputy-head speaking on the radio (that was a head-fukc, thought i was dreaming!)

I tend to avoid the news mostly (though i do read world news in the times at work).

Wake up to gold radio now - music far better.

"Hey, it's all gonna work out. Here's Tom with the weather....."