How to watch the news
Words of wisdom from a retired journalist and practicing Buddhist about how to absorb the news without letting it absorb us
In these tumultuous times, many of us feel bombarded by the news. Whether we watch the PBS Newshour each evening, tune into MSNOW, read the New York Times or other paper of record, or absorb “news” through our social media channels, it’s all too easy to become overwhelmed by the inhumanity, absurdity, and callousness of the stories that force themselves upon us. We want to look away, stay away, hide from all that is happening around us. I get it. And yet, we also feel an obligation to stay informed, to not let what’s happening get too far ahead of us. It’s the only way to decide how to respond, what actions we might take, and how to voice our opposition.
When I was growing up, watching the evening news and reading the local newspaper was as much a ritual as having dinner. But, in those days, once Walter Cronkite signed off with “And that's the way it is” at the end of each broadcast, and all that was left to be read in the newspaper were the comics and classifieds, we went on to other things. Today, news is blasted at us 24/7 and, even with great intentions to not let it get to us, it’s next to impossible to ignore.
So how do we absorb the news without being overwhelmed by it? Last Sunday, a friend of mine gave a brief talk at our Unitarian Universalist congregation about how to watch the news. I was so taken by it, found it so helpful, that I asked her if I could share it with you.
Before you read her guidance, I want to point out that Regina is not just anybody with an idea. She’s a twenty-three-year U.S. Army veteran who served as both a journalist and public affairs officer, a former university professor who taught literature, writing, and military history, and a former middle-school math teacher. In addition, she’s been a Buddhism practitioner for over 20 years and a Unitarian Universalist for 30 years. She knows from whence she speaks.
I hope you find her words as valuable as I do.
Regina Largent’s Guide to Watching the News
I was asked how I watch, read, or listen to the news without getting too upset. Detaching from news through a Buddhist lens is really about practicing non-attachment and cultivating equanimity.
Here are some approaches:
First, recognize the nature of news itself
News is designed to provoke reaction — fear, outrage, hope. Noticing this is the first step. I ask myself: “Am I consuming, or am I being consumed?”
Before turning on the news, take three slow, deliberate breaths. This simple act shifts you from autopilot to intentional witness.
In the Zen tradition, this is called “setting intention” -- you are choosing to engage, not being pulled in by habit.
Next, I practice the observer mind.
When watching the news, I try to observe my reactions without being swept up in them. What RAIN meditation calls “recognizing.”
The RAIN Method has 4 parts:
R – Recognize: Name what you feel. “This story is making me angry.” Naming the emotion engages the prefrontal cortex and reduces amygdala reactivity—both neuroscience and the Buddhist concept of clear comprehension back this.
A – Allow: Don’t push it away. Let the feeling be present without amplifying it.
I – Investigate: Ask gently: “Where do I feel this in my body? What belief is being triggered?” This act mirrors the Vipassana practice of body scanning.
N – Nurture: Offer yourself compassion, the same you’d give a friend. Place a hand over your heart to activate what neuroscientist Rick Hanson calls the “being with” circuit.
Then, I try to apply impermanence.
Every story on the news — however urgent — is subject to change. (And my 22 years in the Army as a journalist and Public Affairs officer taught me that the first report is always incorrect.) Today’s crisis becomes tomorrow’s footnote. Holding this truth gently doesn’t mean apathy; it means you can respond wisely rather than reactively.
After watching a distressing story, pause and mentally ask: “Where will this story be in five years?” This is not dismissal — it’s the practice of impermanence in action.
Set intentional limits
The Buddha taught the Middle Way — neither total withdrawal from the world nor being consumed by it. I give myself defined windows for news consumption. (I record & then watch & fast forward or stop it.) I try to be a conscious participant, not a passive absorber.
In Buddhist practice, dāna (generosity) includes deliberately giving your attention. Treat your attention as a precious offering — not something to be taken from you.
Set a timer for your news window — 20 or 30 minutes. When it ends, close the browser or turn off the TV. Bow slightly to mark the close of this period of attention. Structure creates space: News in, pause, life in.
Always return to the breath.
After watching something disturbing, a few minutes of mindful breathing can be an anchor in the present moment — the present moment is the only place where I actually have agency. (I cannot act in the past or future.)
Another thing I try to do is distinguish compassion from suffering
One can care deeply about the world without taking on its suffering as one’s own. Buddha’s first observation is that “dis--ease“ exists. But we do not have to suffer from a second arrow we shoot into ourselves.
Mettā (loving-kindness) meditation helps — sending compassion outward without drowning in it. The Bodhisattva ideal is precisely this: being in the world, responding with care, but not being destabilized by it.
After a difficult story, close your eyes and begin mettā or loving-kindness meditation in expanding circles:
Start with yourself: “May I be safe. May I be at ease.” (This is not selfish — you cannot pour from an empty vessel.)
Expand to those directly affected in the news story: “May those suffering be safe. May they be at ease.”
Expand further to those causing harm: “May they be free from the conditions that lead to suffering.” (This is the hardest circle and the most transformative.)
The Dalai Lama describes this practice as lo-jong (mind training) AND, it doesn’t mean approving of harm; it means refusing to let hatred take root in your own mind.
The final part is to ask the key question.
The Buddha often tested the usefulness of a thought or engagement with this question: “Does this lead to liberation, or does it lead to more entanglement?” News that moves you to skillful action has value.
News that only stirs anxiety or ill-will can be released.
The goal isn’t indifference — it’s engaged equanimity: caring about the world while remaining rooted in your own stillness.
Please be sure to share your thoughts and ideas about how this practice of engaged equanimity, caring about the world while remaining rooted in your own stillness, might work for you and what other practices you’ve incorporated that allow you to stay in control of your news absorption.
Yours in peace,
Annette
Thank you, Regina, for what you wrote. I appreciate the detail and explanations of Buddhist practice. Thank you, Annette, for posting this. It is the most helpful thing I've read in quite some time. I really appreciate it.