Set the DVR

The Messy Truth/Real Time Double-Header

Soundbite news culture is bad for blood pressure. Lash out after hearing the full argument.

Combining politics with a ultra-connected media diet is a very dangerous cocktail. Doing so is like mixing all the top shelf liquors at a bar in an attempt to craft the perfect signature drink. Both paths lead to a frustratingly persistent hangover.

Trying to source news from Twitter and Facebook is like trying to quench thirst by drinking from a firehose. Possible — sure — but the original problem gets replaced instantly. A firehose will quench your thirst, and will simultaneously power wash the features from your face like barnacles from the underside of a boat. Social media information is meant to be absorbed at a rapid pace. Character limits and scrolling features are there on purpose; designed for at-a-glance consumption.

The news, politics, and issues of the day need time to be considered and opinions need time to form. Rather than following political news spurts through social media, consider listening to a full, long form conversation. Weigh the information in context.

The Messy Truth with Van Jones — CNN’s town hall discussion series — returns on Friday, February 10th at 9:00 PM with guest Bill Maher. Maher, the host of Real Time, will premiere a new episode of his show immediately follow his appearance on CNN at 10:00 PM on HBO.

Assuredly, neither episode will bridge the political divide, however both shows will put the News In Full Context theory into practice.

If you watch either show, you’re not emerging from the experience turned around on Bill Maher. Dude is not — nor attempts to be — partisan. The reason to watch is to see arguments debated between people of differing opinions in full context — question, consideration, response, and justification.

Leading Theory

Preparation and preparedness are the only counterbalances to news absorption via feed. Even if you disagree with what gets said, the format allows for better in-context consumption of news and opinion.

Advice

Watch this to see a masterclass in delivery, crowd work, preparedness, and striking a balance between audience escalation and catharsis. Skip it if politics anger you, you have trouble sleeping, or if Friday nights are for full-on relaxation mode.