Sir, – I sympathise with Dr Patricia Barker and her complaint about the never-ending flow of bad news and her plea for more positive and varied news on traditional media outlets (Letters, December 10th).
However, she is forgetting that “no news is good news”and I advise that she should turn off her radio completely (thereby also sparing her the pain of listening to incessant silly jingles and advertising) and limit her television news to 10 minutes of headlines per day.
I rely on my friends, neighbours and casual contacts, such as my local butcher, to edit the news for me, and when I ask them if they have any news they nearly always say “Not a bit” and never brief me on all the other stuff which is boringly repetitive and analysed to death on radio and television.
The world continues to turn on its axis and the sun rises and sets every day despite the news.
Needless to say she should continue to peruse her daily Irish Times where she can at leisure act as her own editor-in-chief and read or not read what news she likes or dislikes.
And on Sundays, avoid all news and go for a long walk. – Yours, etc,
JOHN GAFFNEY,
Carrick on Shannon,
Co Leitrim.