There is a great deal of noise out there. Over the years, it has become much greater thanks to technology. That isn't a good thing. As a matter of fact, it is most likely a very bad thing. Noise coming from the media, whether that is old media like newspapers, television or radio, or new media coming from all kinds of social media sites and streaming services, is there to feed its base. Beware, it can hurt you!
Let's start with something that I hope is obvious. Whether you own and run a television or radio channel, a newspaper, or some type of channel online, you have a clear understanding of your audience. This could be a liberal or conservative audience. It could be audience focused on nationalism or globalism. And of course, there are many things that fall somewhere between them.
That channel (wherever and whatever it is) will cater to their audience almost all of the time in one form or another. Why? They don't want to lose them. That would lead to lower ratings, lower profits, and many people losing their jobs. The whole channel exists to make money. How best to do that? Feed your base with a narrative they want to hear, hopefully, eliciting strong emotions that brings them back.
Will they lie to keep you glued to them? Maybe, but probably not. What they will do is take pieces of the news that will make their base feel good or bad (confirmation bias). Those pieces of information can be positive or negative, just as long as their base agrees with it. Negative tends to trump positive most of the time because it heightens the emotions and that causes people to tune in more rather than less.
Everything I just said is true. Of course, those channels don't want you to understand how the whole thing works. Their ultimate goal is to bring in more and more viewership to make more and more money. They want you to think they are your best source of information and the others are garbage. This builds the we vs. they dynamic. We are the good guys. They are the bad guys. We have the truth. They have the lies.
Example? Have you heard about the market tanking in 2025? Many use words like crash and plummeted. Has it? Here are where the markets stand as of March 31st, 2025.The U.S. market (VTSAX) is down - 5.26% for the year. That is not a crash. That is a blip on the screen. The 1-year return? It is up 17.4%. Do these facts square with what you hear from the media? Much of the time, the answer is no.
What about other asset classes for 2025? Small Cap growth and value is down -7.37%. Small Cap Value is down -5.76%. Commercial Real Estate is up +1.76%. Small Cap international is up +2.34%. Large Cap international is up +6.30%. Does this square with what you have been hearing from those sources we call the news? I doubt it. They are feeding you a narrative of their own choosing.
Do I have some wonderful source for you to get your news? No, I don't. They all have their narrative, feeding their particular audience on a daily basis. Would it help to watch all networks on TV and the internet? Not if you want to keep your sanity. That approach would just fill you up with negative news and make you think the world is going to hell in a hand basket with the presumption they are all lying.
What should you do? Here is what I do. I acknowledge the truth. They are ALL trying to build the biggest audience they can to make the most money they can. If the audience shrinks, the money dries up. If the audience shrinks too much, they go away. They are going to do all they can, not to go away. Stop seeing any of this as the news. See it as noise that clogs up your world.
On a side note, politicians do the same thing and they spend plenty of time colluding with their favorite media to feed their base with what they want to hear. They are no better. If you think some politician is going to come in and save the day, you will be disappointed. They are simply working on gaining more power, influence, and money. They do it by feeding their base and trying to grow it, just like the media.
If you choose to watch the news, minimize it. Personally, I watch it on occasion for a good laugh. I see through what they are doing no matter what channel I decide to tune into. They are all Comedy Central. This helps a person avoid getting all worked up about the news. Once we see through the charade, it becomes a joke in many ways. It is the wizard pulling levers behind the curtain. See more here.
Will the noise from these channels get better in the future? I doubt it. It will probably get worse. And when I say worse, probably much worse with Artificial Intelligence. So, here is the deal. Either you take the time to understand this game they are playing and refuse to play it, or you let them pull the levers taking your emotions and your life in whatever direction they like. It's up to you. It's always up to you.
Here is the good news. You don't have to play their game. It's a game that keeps you worried and stressed out about the future. Who wants that? The key is to play a game you can win. That means minimal watching of Comedy Central. This opens up more time that can be spent in the real world with real people doing real things that benefit you and others. There is plenty of good happening in the world.
Joseph Campbell said this many years ago, "People say that what we're all seeking is a meaning for life. I don't think that's what we're really seeking. I think what we're seeking is an experience of being alive." There are activities and experiences that can make you feel that experience of being alive. Watching the negative news and getting worked up about it, isn't one of them. Learn more about Joseph Campbell here.
Now what? You can get pulled around by your nose or you can see how the game is played and play it differently. There is no price too high to pay than owning you and your future life. Tuning out the noise will play an important part in how your life plays out and yes, that includes your finances. The message stays the same. Stay the course. YOU are the answer to a better life. This documentary might help tune out the noise.
