The News Wasn’t Broken. We Changed How We Consume It.

Around this time last year, when the war in the Middle East dominated the headlines, I made no effort to avoid the news. Like always, I wanted to know what was happening there and elsewhere in the world. But for three straight days, I also found myself watching mainstream television several times a day. And something unexpected happened.

I would leave the television on while reading a book, working on my laptop, or simply sitting in the living room. Every half hour or so, another bulletin came on. The anchor would present the news, then bring in someone to add context. Sometimes it was a historian, sometimes a researcher, and sometimes a journalist on the ground or a witness to the events. Often it was a university lecturer speaking from an office lined with books. The experience felt intellectually healthy, to say the least. I was being given information, but also perspective. The pace was calm and the format was deliberate. Whether I agreed with what I heard or not, I never felt I was being pushed to do something immediately. There was no invitation to applaud, rage, comment, or share. Instead, I was invited to think and, perhaps, to learn more.