Ciderman

....don't read the papers or watch the news! They've got a lot to answer for; reminds me of the Kevin Costner film "Field of Dreams" that had the line "Build it and they will come" but with the media it's "say/write it and it will happen"....self fulfilling prophecy maybe?

manny1980

A very good suggestion Ciderman...I would personally extend this not just to the UK but anywhere you live News, in general, is more about sensationalizing an incident, biased and creating fear with primarily goal to pull audiences with any possible means.

sallysimmons

I read an article in The New Yorker Magazine about the Daily Mail. The editor said quite proudly that the paper doesn't have a guiding ideology other than 'the country has gone to the dogs.'

Explains so much.

Leither

Or, considering Richard Littlejohn now works for them "Gone to hell in a handcart".

Funnily enough it is the most read online paper by expats.

iaink

my guess is its probably the most read by people choosing to emigrate before they chose to become expats too... would explains why many choose to leave in the first place...


Not paying too much attention to the news probably applies as much to being happy in places other than the UK too.

Leither

[QUOTE=iaink;10002736]my guess is its probably the most read by people choosing to emigrate before they chose to become expats too... would explains why many choose to leave in the first place...


Not paying too much attention to the news probably applies as much to being happy in places other than the UK too.[/QUOTE]

I would imagine so. If I read the Daily Mail I would be on the first plane out of here.

TBF, I think the UK press in general is more negative than anywhere else on the planet.....apart from the Sunday Sport.

iaink

I dont disagree, but even without the british specialty of sensationalism and exaggeration, the news is seldom happy stories of millionaire batmen entertaining hospitalised kids, its usually pretty depressing stuff.

Leither

Holy moly. That's the sort of stuff that papers should be full of.

Edited to add: I'd much rather Wonder Woman visited me even though she is knocking on a bit these days.

Bud the Wiser

Was the negative influence of the media a contributing factor, however small, for anyone emmigrating in the first place? or simply a means to reinforce their decision to make the move.

Editha

I've never read the tabloids regularly, but I admit that is partly because of snobbery. When I was at grammar school, 50 years ago, it was pretty much drummed into me that reading a tabloid was the equivalent of having "moron" tattooed on your forehead.

But, when I do look at a copy of the Daily Mail, I'm always shocked by the level of bile and maliciousness of its content. It is very nasty, and I does not make me proud of my fellow Brits that they like reading this stuff.

I've also been shocked by the phone-tapping revelations. If all of the UK's tabloids were shut down overnight, I think the UK would become a better place.

I currently read The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph online, and occasionally The Independent too. I used to read The Times, but I'm not prepared to pay for the subscription. Plus, of course, I look at the BBC news site, which is really the best source of news there is. The UK is very lucky to have the BBC. That is something to be proud of.

Tr1boy

I use the same strategy in the UK as I used in Oz and all the other countries I've lived in (with the exception of Colombia).

I never watch the news, and I never buy or read the newspapers. I only evaluate my life based on what is actually happening to me/us and how it applies to our situation.

With today's electronic interaction (forums and social networks etc) it's pretty well impossible not to be aware of what is happening 'out there' without going looking for it in the news media. I tend to have an awareness of what is happening through the 'Off Topic' sections of the forums I'm active on.

I've always think 'if I didn't know about xxxxx, how would it make it a difference to me'? and most of the time the answer is 'it doesn't'.

I'm very involved in triathlon and cycle racing communities, both in real life and on the net. Nearly all of us use some kind of data gathering devices, such as HRM, power meters, foot pods, wind tunnel white papers and myriad other 'info'. The amount of people that have access to the info and do nothing with it, or about it is staggering. I view the news in same way. Don't collect what you are not going to use.

Govs change, policies change, the weatherchanges and the economy changes. For the vast majority of people, knowing about these changes makes little difference, you still have to go to work, sit in traffic, pay tax etc etc.

I prefer to leave 'brain space' for nice things, not crap that's going to happen anyway.

Beedubya

^^^^^^^^^^^

What he said.

I haven't watched the news for years and only buy a newspaper here and there if I am REALLY interested in a cover story, I do go online for The Daily Fail's entertainment page now and then, but as I don't know who half of these z list celebs are anyway I am only reading a small part of it.

The same when I watch TV, I honestly don't know who half these people are.....when did people become so obsessed with reality shows, I never watch Big Brother, TOWIE or Desperate Scousewives or anything of that genre either.

Ciderman

I think soaps such as Eastenders & Coronation Street also have a lot to answer for- I don't watch them myself but the trailers are always full of negativity, doom & gloom, people permanently arguing and fighting. Object lesson in how not to live your life!

Prefer my TV entertainment to be a bit uplifting so if I wanted to be depressed I can just turn on the news or buy a paper.

Beedubya

Noooo Corrie is brilliant and quite funny too. Though I do find EE too be depressing especially the home decor lol!!

Mummy in the foothills

Agreed