Staying informed without overwhelm in a distressing news cycle

With 24/7 news access at our fingertips, the distressing nature of global conflict, political upheaval and a constant barrage of news and traumatising imagery can take its toll. An RMIT expert comments on how we can balance the need to stay informed with what's best for our mental health.

Professor Alexandra Wake, School of Media and Communication.

"We are very lucky in Australia to be one of the world's 29 functioning democracies. But democracy only works when we have citizens who play a role in ensuring that they are informed, from trusted and credible news sources, about what is going on.

"Many people get confused by the difference between social media and traditional public service news services. They aren't the same. It's worth avoiding social media, if you have any kind of anxiety about the world.

"Being part of civil society means staying informed, but that does not mean anyone needs to watch 24/7 news and certainly no one should spend all day watching war coverage. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to access credible news without overloading on traumatic material.

"Traditional public news organisations, for example, try to ensure a balance of coverage, so it's not all doom and gloom. Traditional news journalists also make edits to ensure that the most graphic material is not shown.

"There are other ways of consuming news in a more controlled way, to stay informed without being overwhelmed, like signing up to a daily newsletter, reading a newspaper in its print edition, or even tuning into the ABC's youth news program BTN.

"We have a responsibility as Australians to take part in society and that means making decisions about the quality of the news we are consuming, and we are very lucky that in Australia we have some good, reliable public service news outlets that will provide us with trusted information."

Professor Alexandra Wake is an active academic leader, educator, researcher, and journalist serving currently as the Program Manager for the Graduate Diploma in Journalism at RMIT University. She has a particular interest in the intersection of policy and governance.

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