It may come as a surprise to some, but G and I do not have cable television in our home.
While living alone and before I moved in with G, I had satellite television through Dish Network. When I moved in with my best friends I had the service transferred to our new address. I think I was paying about $80 per month for a service I/we were barely using. Working and going to school full time made it entirely impossible to watch TV how I wanted to, and even when I did have the time, I only watched a handful of channels. HGTV, VH1, BET, and maybe BRAVO and WETV.
HGTV was for Flip or Flop, Property Brothers, and House Hunters. BET for movies, and VH1 for Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta and New York. That was pretty much it. Trash television. I’d also watch a little Disney Channel and Nickelodeon when I was feeling nostalgic. Although I was a communications major in college, the news did not interest me at all. Mainstream media outlets like CNN and Fox News seemed so negative. The constant images of war, murder, and corruption weren’t always helpful for the psyche.
Over the last two years, I’ve become intrigued by more creative forms of news. Still very informative, but a lot less always violent.
- The Young Turks
- is a channel on YouTube dedicated to giving their audience news that the mainstream media won’t necessarily cover. According to their youtube channel, “We are a rare show that combines all of the news that people care about in one place. We are not afraid to talk about politics and entertainment and sports and pop culture. But that is not the revolution either.” You can watch them live Monday – Friday, 6-8pm ET.
- NPR
- National Public Radio is an American privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. I listen to NPR on Apple Music radio and you can listen on their website or other streaming service providers.
- The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
- I love watching Trevor Noah. G introduced me to him through his stand-up comedy and now he’s our go-to guy for political hot topics. I particularly watch him for his funny commentary against president 45 and the hilarious segments on various subjects, like this one:
- Ted Talks
- are a series of videos dedicated to educating and inspiring. You can find videos on all sorts of things ranging from Urban Farming to new medical breakthroughs. People who are invited to speak at TED are usually individuals with new and groundbreaking ideas that can help improve our quality of life. I prefer TEDx over the original, but all the series have something to offer for every age group.
- Online News Sites
- everyone has a website these days and while the video images can be a little too much, the written form is more detailed and seems to be less violent and depressing. I gravitate toward, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and CNN.com. Some of these sites do require that you subscribe for a monthly fee, but sometimes you can get a preview or view certain articles without having to pay.
- Social Media
- is another great way to stay informed without having to subscribe to cable television. The majority of us are always on our phones anyway so the best way to get the most out of social media would be to follow some of your favorite media outlets. SnapChat is a great way to stay informed, whether you’re looking laughs or news. I use their explore page to for fashion, health, and news related content.
We are living in an ever-changing society where we don’t have to subscribe to traditional norms. Even without television, G and I are still enjoying our favorite television series, award shows, and more. 😉
Leave a comment below and let me know how you choose to stay informed.
