Should we be able to opt out of the news?

So, last Sunday morning, I was chilling out. I was having my breakfast and listening to RTÉ radio 1. On Sunday mornings, John Bowman’s archives show is very good, as is the Sunday Miscelony that comes after it. But between both shows, you get the 9 a.m. news or your hourly dose of misery, as I like to think of it. The news is your long-term abusive partner, there to suck any joy out of your life at every moment.

Hey buddy it looks like you are having a nice relaxing Sunday morning there, what’s that you are eating? Wee bit of fruit and yogurt is it? Well sorry to burst your bubble but 15 kids were killed in Gaza last night, how do you feel now? While you were snoozing in your bed, 2 pensioners were killed in Kerry driving home from a night out. Not feeling so good now you smug b*stard are you? And what about this homeless guy who died on the streets of Dublin last night, yeah you didn’t give a sh*t about him did you you selfish prick.

I may be overdramatising it, but my core point is: When did we decide that we all need to be fed a constant stream of the world’s miseries without our permission?

I am not saying that we should do away with the news entirely, but I want it on my terms. I want to be able to buy a newspaper or read a news website of my choosing. I don’t want it forced on me.

I mean, when you go to a restaurant, the waiter does not come over mid-meal and solemnly announce, ’54 dead in a train crash in Rajasthan province.’

Why do bars, doctors’ offices, airports, etc, think people want to watch live news?

With technology, we should be able to opt out of the news. RTÉ, BBC radio etc should give you the option to stream out the news. Alexa, play RTÉ 1, news free.

There is a flaw in my plan: When you remove news and current affairs from Radio Ulster, you are left with very little. So how about a new station, Radio Ulster Life? More Hugo, no Nolan!

And yes, I am aware of the irony that the guy who runs your favourite local news site really hates the news. But again, to clarify, I want it on my terms, not shoved down your throat every minute of the day.

I have found my own solution in that I now listen mostly to podcasts, but I would still like to be able to listen to some live radio without the existential dread of all the world’s miseries living rent-free in my head.

I help to manage Slugger by taking care of the site as well as running our live events. My background is in business, marketing and IT. My politics tend towards middle-of-the-road pragmatism, I am not a member of any political party. Oddly for a member of the Slugger team, I am not that interested in daily politics, preferring to write about big ideas in society. When not stuck in front of a screen, I am a parkrun Run Director.