Thread by @MollyMcKew

Some asked me today how I keep up with the news, and still stay sane in this circus.

So, because it's Monday, and blech, here are some of my media sanity rules:

/1

1) Watch the news on a delay. Fast forward through any story which:
- is about a Trump tweet, or reacts to a Trump tweet
- is about Melania/Ivanka doing something nice/being normal human
- includes a Trump defender who will say exactly what the TrumpTrain said this morning

/2

1) (con't)
- is one-on-one interview with Putin apologist, or almost anyone in a bowtie
- is an established panel of pundits who are only supposed to yell at one another
- is anyone's lawyer defending them for anything (and again, bowtie rule)
- even the anchor knows is crap

/3

By this point, you'll be down to about 20% of the news.

2) Make an effort to watch stories:
- about a specific congressional or head-to-head race that represents shifting political landscape
- where the actual author of a piece of investigative journalism is interviewed

/4

2) (con't)
- about foreign news that has nothing to do w/ Trump
- about the wars we fight, which get further away
- about things that don't work in America
- about veterans, old or young
- about regular people doing extraordinary things

/5

2) (con't)
- about Congress doing things, not explaining why they aren't/can't/shouldn't do things
- about the preservation of the splendor of the American landscape
- about women running for office -- really guys, you have no idea what it takes to do this. watch a little

/6

3) On curation:
- you can, and should, curate your news and your social media feeds
- but don't silo -- include people/sources you don't always agree with, but represent ideas and views you still respect
- people who like cats are always a good bet

/7

4) Of particular value:
- anything about history, especially by history nerds
- any good long-reads or long-form storytelling -- 800 words is as much of a cage as the pundit panel
- stories about food/random cultural traditions bringing people together

/8

4) (con't)
- stories explaining personal experiences of radicalization, or deradicalization. There's always good psychological lessons to be learned
- things about parts of America you don't live in. Trust me, there's a lot that isn't like wherever you are.

/9

5) My dad says I write like Hemingway -- with my typewriter (ok, laptop) perched precariously on an improbable surface, with a bottle of whiskey beside

Feel free to read like Hemingway. The whiskey is only going to help.

/10

6) After the whiskey, stop on over to whatever news you view as crazy. See what they're talking about it. Understands how it shapes what they see, and the world around you.

Now try to figure out what to do about it.

/11

7) Every now and then, pop over to young people news sources. No, for real, there is one called Cheddar.
It's weird over there. Think about what you want to be passed down. Fight for it.

/12

8) when in doubt, just turn on something with cowboys in it.
Better, read.
Reading about cowboys is also fine.

/13

Addendum to 1, in interest of fairness:

- skip anything where an Obama/Clinton staffer defends the reset or otherwise shows no inability to be self-critical.

/14