Switch off mainstream news, NOW!!!

During Covid, I stopped following traditional news media. After routinely checking data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), and comparing it to what the BBC and ITV were reporting (I had already given up on Channel 4), I saw major discrepancies. The numbers simply didn’t align, making the choice to walk away easy.

I also distanced myself from U.S. news media.

With family living in the U.S. and as a frequent visitor, I like to stay informed about what’s happening there, but over the years I’ve seen similar biases emerge. Now, after three years of avoiding edited, agenda-driven sources, I’ve developed a disciplined approach to curating my own news. Setting up accurate alerts and finding unfiltered sources took a little effort, but now I spend about an hour a day catching up on key events in the U.K., U.S., and around the world.

Choosing to step out of the traditional news cycle has given me a unique vantage point.

As an onlooker, I can see what’s being pushed to the public. When I talk to friends, colleagues, or overhear conversations, it’s clear what people are being nudged to think about current issues.

I say “being nudged to think” because it’s apparent that mainstream media has become polarized—most outlets now lean left, while a smaller portion lean right. Objective reporting seems rare; the slant often matches the network’s preferred ideology, which heavily influences their narrative.

I see myself as rational and balanced, with no desire to follow the crowd. Avoiding processed news has allowed me to research issues that matter to me and form opinions based on evidence, not spin. Some might say my views are contradictory, as I agree with both left- and right-leaning perspectives depending on the topic. I think this balance puts me in the middle—a good place for an independent thinker.

With two major elections behind us this year, I’ve reached several conclusions about news, reporting, and the ongoing left/right divide. My advice on news media is simple: turn off the TV, radio, and other mainstream corporate news outlets. Today’s news resembles a moving comic strip, with personality-driven presenters feeding narratives that reflect the interests of their backers.

In my experience, people on the left are "ideas people" - creative, often gravitating toward a group-think mentality. Like actors or presenters, they prefer digestible snapshots or stories to deliver, rather than detailed analysis. People on the right, meanwhile, are fact-oriented. They’re doers, not easily led, working hard to create prosperity for themselves and those around them - family, friends, employees.

Take immigration as an example: a left-leaning person might support open immigration, seeing it as a positive, inclusive ‘idea’. A right-leaning person might counter with specific concerns about the financial impact and pressure on public services, arguing against 'facts' of open borders.

Personally, I support upward mobility and understand why people move for better opportunities. But I also recognise that open, uncontrolled immigration would strain systems - healthcare, housing, finances - beyond their limits, so I’m not in favour of it.

Where I think the left’s "ideas-first" mindset falters (and why my outlook seemingly skews slightly to the right on practical issues) is their reluctance to recognise when an idea doesn’t work.

This week, as U.S. election coverage has ramped up, I came across commentary from James O’Brien in the U.K. and Rachel Maddow in the U.S. that I found troubling.

Watching them try to reconcile Trump’s electoral success with their own biases was eye-opening. They seemed determined to blame the electorate, even insult them, rather than consider the straightforward easily acceptable and verified data that explains his win. Many left-leaning commentators have adopted similar rhetoric, seemingly unwilling to accept a result that doesn’t fit their narrative, or ideas.

Personally, I’m ambivalent about Trump.

If he achieves even some of his goals, I think Americans may benefit in ways that could have a positive knock-on effect globally. He’ll need to be watched closely, of course, but based on unfiltered interviews, he doesn’t appear as extreme as the left-leaning media portrays him. Their selective editing to fit an agenda is exactly why I stepped away from mainstream news.

Another trend I’ve noticed is that left-leaning media and governments seem to be peaking.

The U.K. is an interesting exception - although, Kier Starmer’s fledgling government is under intense scrutiny, and I suspect it may struggle to secure more than one term. While Starmer’s ideas have merit, many don’t hold up under factual scrutiny; for instance, the proposed inheritance tax on farmers needs to be reversed, and quickly.

We live on a crowded planet, and you’d think there’d be a way to get along. If everyone shifted just a bit toward the center, we might see more understanding.

If I were building a team, I’d hire left-leaning individuals for creative roles and right-leaning ones for execution. That combination would make for an incredibly effective business and maybe I'd return to mainstream news once again, although I doubt it!