The Misery Quotient

“At a certain point, there’s a misery quotient that results from immersing one’s self in the news, in the almost forensic detail of the suffering, and I have to ask myself, ‘How does this affect my life?’” 

—Christian Livermore, writer, on her changing news consumption, in Christopher Mele, “Fatigued by the News? Experts Suggest How to Adjust Your Media Diet,” New York Times, Feb. 1, 2017.

• Editorial Comment: Yup. Mad as hell. Really, really mad.

peezpix by Ted Pease

Day at the Beach

FREE! Get TODAY'S WORD ON JOURNALISM in your email This free “service” is sent to 2,000,000 or so subscribers around the planet more or less every weekday morning during WORD season. If you have recovered from whatever illness led you to subscribe and don’t want it anymore, send “unsubscribe” to ted.pease@gmail.com. Or if you want to afflict someone else, send me the email address and watch the fun begin. (Disclaimer: I just quote ’em, I don’t necessarily endorse ’em. Don’t shoot the messenger.) 
 
Ted Pease, Professor of Interesting Stuff, Trinidad, California. (Be)Friend The WORD

“I don’t think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.” —Tom Stoppard