So, What Now?
Honestly, I'm still figuring that all out.
It has been a tough week for millions of Americans. Even if you didn’t watch the inauguration (for the record, I did not), you are likely aware of the sweeping — albeit predictable — changes since Donald Trump became the 47th president on Monday. And that Elon Musk, aka the country’s unofficial co-president, celebrated by making a Nazi gesture not once, but twice.
There’s no point in rehashing the major political bullet points of the past week. We know what happened.
But I think it’s worth rethinking our approach to news consumption at this time. We are constantly inundated with reports of nonstop, outrageous decisions emerging from the new administration. Reports that fuel our outrage and depression. Yes, we need to stay informed, but there comes a point where “The More You Know” is more harmful than helpful.
Developing Healthy News Consumption Habits
Unfortunately, many legacy media outlets (e.g. The New York Times, The Washington Post, etc.) aren't reliable, unbiased news sources anymore. The truth is, they haven't been for a while, because they swear fealty not to the truth, but to the almighty dollar and the outlets’ billionaire owners. They also want to "play nice" with the new administration so they can continue receiving full access. What we, the public, receive in return, is a complete and utter normalization of the second Trump administration.
We all saw what happened with The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post: The billionaire owners of both newspapers spiked their respective Kamala Harris endorsements. And now, many of these “trusted” media outlets are tiptoeing around Elon Musk’s Inauguration Day “gesture.” We've been conditioned to trust these dependable newspapers and TV news sources, and now they’re letting us down. So I understand how challenging it is to reconsider where we get our information.
Okay, so where can we find honest, unbiased reporting?
I'm still figuring these answers out myself, and I’m not abandoning legacy media outlets entirely (nor am I encouraging such a move). I continue to subscribe to The New York Times, and the Associated Press has been a reputable source for unbiased journalism since the 19th century. But it’s also worth expanding one’s media palate, especially at this moment. Now that I’m on Substack, it makes the most sense for me to start there.
I can recommend several Substacks run by independent, seasoned journalists who will give you the news straight. But a word of warning if you decide to subscribe to several of these newsletters: Many of them are trying to compete with major media outlets, so even if you're just a free subscriber, you will receive posts from sites like the Contrarian and Public Notice several times a day. Please, treat these posts like they're the latest dispatches from a newspaper; you don't have to read everything they send you! (I mean, you could, but good luck getting anything else done throughout the day.)
Here are my top recs:
The Contrarian
Aaron Rupar (Public Notice)
Team Steady
News Not Noise
Letters from an American
The Handbasket
Take Multiple Media Breaks
I know emotions are running high right now (mine included!), and that, like me, you all want to stay as informed as possible. But the best thing we can do is curb our constant news consumption. Take a break -- in fact, take several breaks. You don't have to be on top of every moronic decision our new administration makes. Why? Because these decisions shouldn't surprise you if you've been paying attention. As I used to say in my old newsletter, the 47th president and his cronies thrive on your attention. They want you to constantly feed their egos.
They also want you to be overwhelmed with outrage. So don’t give them that power. Put your phone down, don’t share that article about those unconstitutional executive orders, and regroup.
But Please Don’t Act Like This Is Normal
You know those people who are acting like everything is fine? The “business as usual” people? Yeah, I’m not thrilled with them either. I know several people who voted for Kamala Harris, but after she lost, it seems to me they decided it was "safer" to hide their true feelings. I think that's problematic behavior too, because you're "obeying in advance." If you believe that the new authoritarian administration is harmful to the American people, then it's your duty as an American citizen to say something. That begins with writing or calling your senator, congressperson, governor, mayor, local city council representative, etc.
I was so proud to learn that my mother wrote her Republican congressman a couple of days ago to express her concern about the incoming administration. And that she wasn’t stopping there. This is how change is made.
Don’t Give Up
If you're looking for some inspiration, or just some words of empowerment, I recommend checking out Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Instagram Live from a couple of nights ago:
Check on your friends who are hurting this week. Your Jewish friends, your LGBTQ+ friends, your undocumented friends (or friends who have undocumented family). I know I've been able to hide beneath my privilege for a long time, but I don't think anyone can anymore. Maybe you can if you're a white male billionaire, but I think the millions of Americans who voted for this new order are in for an extremely rude awakening.
The best thing any of us can do is to take care of ourselves and to keep educating ourselves. The cold hard truth is that the millions of people who elected Donald Trump back into the White House aren't educated. And they certainly didn't pay attention in history class.
Where are you getting your news these days? Let me know in the comments!
I did appear on a podcast this week, but it's pretty dated (we recorded it four months ago and SO much has changed since then). But if you're interested in learning more about what it's like to raise a neurodivergent child, check it out!
Finally, here’s my latest Rescripted article: “Can Sex Cause Miscarriage?” (TL; DR: No, but your physician may advise abstinence depending on potential risk factors.)