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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

"Oh I never watch the news"

408 replies

oklumberjack · 01/09/2016 09:29

Ok, I feeling really judgemental about this I'll admit, but here goes.

I went out for dinner this week with some school mum's from the primary my dd has just left. These women are acquaintances of mine. Nice women, friendly but I don't consider them my closest friends.

Over the course of lunch, we were discussing our summer etc. I mentioned the Olympics and something about Theresa May. They all looked blankly at me. All 5 of them said they hadn't seen any Olympics and had no idea how we'd done. 3 of them had not even heard of Theresa May. The conversation then got on to how they never watch the news, or read a newspaper or even access it online. As soon as news comes on they turn over. I was shocked. I kept very quiet that I'm a Radio 4 and 5live listener, avid Daily Politics watcher and rather enjoyed watching the cycling,rowing and diving at the Olympics on the BBC.

However they could tell me all about Love Island, Big Brother and TOWIE which is where the conversation went next. I felt really out of place. They seemed to think that being interested in the news made you some kind of snob.

Ok, so we're out of step in what we like. We probably won't hang out much in the future, however please tell me I'm not really unusual in checking in with the news at least twice a day!

OP posts:
Chipsahoy · 01/09/2016 14:37

I avoid all news and current events as much as possible. Cos there are never trigger warnings, but you have to be living in a box not to know the pm is or about Olympics

NNChangeAgain · 01/09/2016 14:44

As a journalist I have often felt it is morally wrong for the police to attempt to use me as part of their investigatory techniques, and they do so all the time

A moral dilemma indeed! Cooperation from the media was crucial to the police during the Soham investigation, the Rachel McLean murder and the Philpott case, too.
The role of the media in society means it has become a part of these cases - because suspects interact with journalists, who are not just observers of human behaviour but participants in it.

Toddlerteaplease · 01/09/2016 14:44

I was chatting to my cleaner once about the murder of Fr Hamel in France and she'd not heard about it. Apparently her Reiki master told her she shouldn't watch anything negative!HmmHmm

limitedperiodonly · 01/09/2016 14:46

The role of the media in society means it has become a part of these cases - because suspects interact with journalists, who are not just observers of human behaviour but participants in it.

Indeed, and it troubles me. I am not a police officer or a psychologist.

limitedperiodonly · 01/09/2016 14:50

Also, it wasn't quite so helpful to Christopher Jefferies. The police do sometimes shrug their shoulders when reporters bother people peripheral to serious crimes. There's only so much they can do...

limitedperiodonly · 01/09/2016 14:52

I was chatting to my cleaner once about the murder of Fr Hamel in France and she'd not heard about it. Apparently her Reiki master told her she shouldn't watch anything negative!

I guess she'd be unlikely to enter a church so as a warning I suppose it doesn't really matter

ilovesooty · 01/09/2016 14:53

I'm utterly appalled by the fact that there are grown adults who are totally unfazed by their total lack of knowledge about who the prime minister is.

SapphireSeptember · 01/09/2016 14:53

I've been aware of the news since I can remember, Newsround has always been great for showing news stories in a child friendly way. I remember Tony Blair and Labour winning the election. I started watching the news everyday when I started secondary school because I had a TV in my room and I could keep an eye on the time as I was getting ready for school. (This meant I got cool points for knowing who the French president was in 2000.) This was also when I started to have an interest in politics. I can't imagine not knowing who the PM is! And I hate reality TV, though I know the two are not mutually exclusive.

I don't worry about stuff though, yes the world can be a dark and scary place, but I refuse to let it bother me. I don't worry about terrorism or about walking home when it's dark. If something happens it happens, I think knowing about it means you're better equipped to deal with bad stuff if it ever happens.

DownWithThisSortaThing · 01/09/2016 14:54

Our teacher in (an all girls secondary school) told us we must vote because us women had to fight to get our vote. Fine.
She then went on to say she always votes, but she didn't always know who to vote for, so she often just chose the candidate with the best name or closed her eyes and whichever name her pencil landed on got her vote.
I have to say I was Hmm about that and pointed out she could be voting for the next Hitler for all she knew. She was Hmm at my comment and said 'it didn't matter because she was voting and the most important thing was that she was using her vote'.
I was about 14 at the time and she went on to say 'you don't understand because youve never voted'
I hope to god she's not still teaching

NNChangeAgain · 01/09/2016 14:58

Also, it wasn't quite so helpful to Christopher Jefferies. The police do sometimes shrug their shoulders when reporters bother people peripheral to serious crimes. There's only so much they can do...

IIRC the law was changed as a result of the CJ situation - the police were far more restricted as to what they could to then than they are now.

I am not a police officer or a psychologist.

Many journalists are psychologists and specialist police staff work with the media - if you haven't read 'Goodbye Dearest Holly" I can recommend it - it's an interesting read in terms of media involvement.

NNChangeAgain · 01/09/2016 14:59

downwith I encourage women to spoil their ballot if they don't know who to vote for Blush

LurkingHusband · 01/09/2016 15:00

Our teacher in (an all girls secondary school) told us we must vote because us women had to fight to get our vote. Fine.
She then went on to say she always votes, but she didn't always know who to vote for, so she often just chose the candidate with the best name or closed her eyes and whichever name her pencil landed on got her vote.

That sounds like the setup to a Jimmy Carr "ironic" gag !

DownWithThisSortaThing · 01/09/2016 15:08

nnchange that's better advice than telling children to just vote for 'whoever, it doesn't matter'! My brother spoils his ballot at every election because he wants to make the point that none of the parties are worth voting for in his opinion. It's his choice I suppose, it's his vote.

Oblomov16 · 01/09/2016 15:14

Rarely watch the news. Occasionally. Find it depressing. My mum doesn't read the papers for the same reason anymore.
I know who TM is, watched a small amount of Olympus, don't like BB or love island.
So? What's the point? I wouldn't have a problem with a group of women if they didn't watch the news and if you don't like Love Island or Big Brother ...... like you say, you won't be socialising very much with them I suspect from now on anyway, but your objection re the news is unfair.

StopMakingMeLogOn · 01/09/2016 15:14

I think it is a very interesting po8nt made uthread about the police using journalists to further their own investigations.

Does anyone remember that family who took their child from hospital and went abroad to access treatment denied them by the nhs here? They were portrayed on the news as having almost abducted their own child ( which wasn't true given that they had Pr that no court had removed) and as being massively irresponsible in putting their child's wellbeing at risk. The press totally colluded in creating that impression. It turned out that the parents were perfectly loving parents whose actions saved their child's life.

I can see why people don't trust the news and opt out of watching it.

NNChangeAgain · 01/09/2016 15:18

stopmaking if it's the case I'm thinking of, the child had been subject to a care order and the LA also had PR - so the parents removing the DC from the country was abduction.
There was an element of manipulation of the press but in that case, it wasn't deliberate collusion - a court had deemed the parents were a risk.

Oblomov16 · 01/09/2016 15:25

Christopher Jeffries?
The family from Southampton with the ill boy taken abroad?
Yes, both of those media were disgraceful.
The law changed after CJ case? Really? I bet similar still goes on.

Mynestisfullofempty · 01/09/2016 15:28

Soubriquet I'm curious. Have you heard of David Cameron and do you know who he is? Did you know before this thread who the US President is?

NNChangeAgain · 01/09/2016 15:29

oblomov how were they disgraceful in the latter case?

The Health Authority sought a care order on the child with undue haste.

The parents took the child abroad and the police had to act to find him ASAP as a court had deemed his parents were a risk.

What should the media do? Make their own judgement rather than cooperate with the police who were trying to protect a little boy?

If he had been at genuine risk, the media would have been condemned for refusing to circulate his details.

limitedperiodonly · 01/09/2016 15:43

IIRC the law was changed as a result of the CJ situation - the police were far more restricted as to what they could to then than they are now.

You are wrong. No laws have been changed. The police are in the same situation now as then and that is how it should be. We have lots of laws to deal with public order. The police have only to enforce them. We don't need more.

Soubriquet · 01/09/2016 15:49

Soubriquet I'm curious. Have you heard of David Cameron and do you know who he is? Did you know before this thread who the US President is?

Yes. I know David Cameron was PM at one point. Couldn't tell you what party he was or if he was before or after Gordon Brown though.

I know the US president is Barack Obama and the election is currently happening now with Donald Trump being the favourite to win which would be a disaster.

Mynestisfullofempty · 01/09/2016 15:50

Thanks very much.

NNChangeAgain · 01/09/2016 16:07

We have lots of laws to deal with public order. The police have only to enforce them. We don't need more.

I was referring to contempt of court acts rather than public order, tbh.

bearleftmonkeyright · 01/09/2016 16:27

I'm going to go against the grain a bit here. I feel informed, am pretty interested in politics and am a member of the Labour Party. There are times when I feel pretty hamstrung by this knowledge and what to do with it. I am voting for Owen Smith in the leadership election. Trying to discuss that with Corbyn supporters is just a nightmare. They won't listen and I am now starting to think "what's the point?". If you feel that your point of view is not worth having you're not going to take an interest in the wider world of politics. I have an opinion on Donald Trump, but that's not going to help anyone but me. Whereas the lady who lives across the road from me knows nothing about current affairs but knows that her elderly neighbour needs her shopping doing and volunteers at the local charity shop. I don't think being informed about politics is the be all and end all of a person and scratch the surface and you will find some common ground. As parents its far more important to teach your children to be good, kind members of society.

The other thing that gets my goat is when people seem to think that only those who are truly informed should have the vote. Nowhere was this more pronounced than in the referendum. I was a staunch remainer, but people voted to leave because they felt they aren't being listened to. It was the one time people felt that they could really effect any serious change in this country. I'm not sure if it was true democracy due to the sheer amount of lies peddled by all sides but I can see why we ended up where we did.

LunaLoveg00d · 01/09/2016 16:32

Well I have never seen Love Island, TOWIE or that Geordie thing either. I am aware they exist, but have no interest in watching them.

I do watch the news and read news websites and am interested in the world around me. I could not be friends with someone who didn't know who Teresa May was - we'd have nothing in common. The sorts of conversations which are all about lip gloss, some C-grade celebrity and plastic surgery or the latest reality show would have me heading straight for the door.

I do get my judgey pants on with very shallow women who seem to take pride in being ignorant.