Sometimes it seems like there is too much news for our limited attention span. When that happens, which stories should we focus on?
On the international stage, there are many ongoing stories that would seem to deserve our attention. There are two significant wars that threaten to turn into world engulfing conflicts, in Asia and in the Middle East.
In addition, there is the ongoing climate crisis. As global temperatures continue to rise, weather events grow stronger and more frequent. More people are displaced from their homes than in any other time in human history.
Domestically in the United States, there are also too many stories to try to follow. Which is more important, ignoring due process or blatant political corruption? Announced tariffs threatening a global trade war or unmarked police forces kidnapping people? Threats to judges and law firms or people around the world going hungry or getting sick because of cancelled contracts and staffing shortages? People suffering from natural disasters being ignored or a significant uptick in airplane accidents threatening flying safety?
The current administration is employing a tactic called “flooding the zone.” This means pursuing multiple actions in a short period of time, so that media, courts, and the public attention span all have trouble keeping up. It is a deliberate strategy designed to sow confusion and apathy.
So what to do? When there are multiple balls being thrown at the same time, how do we decide which one to swing at? What should we be paying attention to?
Related questions: What deserves your attention? Should we pay attention to the news? How do you set priorities? What unimportant things do you focus on too much?
Pay most of your attention to what matters to you. I am most concerned about poverty- and climate change-related issues at both the state and federal levels. As an advocate, I also want and need to look into the politics that perpetuate these issues. The following is how I get my news.
My advice for those unsure of what to focus on is, first, to sign up for daily newsletters from reputable local newspapers and radio stations. For example, I read great local news from what Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), MinnPost, and The Minnesota Reformer publish. Second, I sometimes listen to the latest news story synopses from MPR and NPR. I also subscribe to the New York Times’ weekly top picks for Politics and (separately) Climate. Third, I’m a news enthusiast, so I also sign up for the weekly top articles from The Atlantic and Foreign Affairs, both of which I subscribe to. Lastly, I follow what some federal organizations put out about housing poverty, the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) and poverty more generally, the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). For most people, what I read is already too much. So, start with my first suggestion and you’ll know you’re getting the top stories covered from a local angle.