Is There Any Reason to Keep Up with the News?
The article states the following:<p><i>The news keeps us informed so we can take action on important issues.<p>…<p>There’s undoubtedly truth to this idea. But it is often simplistically stated, and done so without some important caveats.<p>First, to truly be informed — to be able to make sense of the news in order know what action to take on it — requires more than the news itself. The news rarely gives context to what it reports, offering instead a ceaseless torrent of facts and data points. Background knowledge on history, psychology, philosophy, and so on, gleaned from books and other more stable, in-depth information sources, is required to make connections between these facts, stake out well-founded positions, and make sound decisions.</i><p>I guess not every person is able to make informed decisions based on the news, and not everyone shares the same perspectives. But to give an example: when in pre-WW2 Germany:<p>- Hitler&#x27;s rise to power.<p>- Kristallnacht happened.<p>- I think Hitler&#x27;s anti-jew rhetoric was overt, not hidden. Most likely some news sources reviewed Hitlers pamphlet &quot;Mein Kampf&quot;.<p>For plenty of jewish people this should have been a cue that Germany and perhaps most of Europe was not safe anymore. But for whatever reasons a lot of people still chose to stay. Perhaps they were not informed (didn&#x27;t follow news), perhaps they found it hard to leave their property or relatives behind. By keeping track of the news, I think one can anticipate situations like this and take proper measures for themselves or their loved ones.<p>Now I believe Europe will face a civil war in the near future, based on the news I&#x27;ve been following in the last few years. I&#x27;m not gonna stay in Europe myself. Actually within the coming months I&#x27;ll travel to Asia and try to live there. I&#x27;m sure in the coming year we&#x27;ll get more major terrorist attacks as we had in 2015. I&#x27;m not gonna stick around and find out. Of course, many of my friends don&#x27;t agree with me and that&#x27;s ok. For their sake I hope I&#x27;m wrong.