Chuck dives into the paradox of modern reading habits, where subscribing feels productive but reading feels impossible”
It’s hard to believe it was more than three decades ago that Bruce Springsteen took aim at contemporary culture through the metaphor of cable TV in his track, “57 Channels (and Nothin’ On).”
Today, as I’m looking at my inbox, the song bounces around in my head.
But with new lyrics:
“57 Substacks (and Nothin’ Read).”
It’s an exaggeration, yes. I’m not a subscriber to 57 Substacks –
It’s more like a dozen.
And I have read some entries of each:
…Each entry leaves me smarter for having read it. It’s just that there’s so much competing for my attention.
The sad truth is that, more often than not, I file the article to an email folder, thinking I’ll read it when I have time.
That time never comes.
I recognize this falls under the heading “First World problems.”
But I do feel more overwhelmed than ever by the fear of being unaware.
Subscribing to the Substacks is an attempt to try to keep in touch with what’s going on.
They’re a supplement to subscriptions to The New York Times; The Washington Post; my former employer, The News & Observer of Raleigh, N.C.; and a couple of statewide media sites.
Still, there’s just not enough time to keep up with it all. That is, while focusing on the essentials of life:
- Family
- Friends
- Faith
- Food
- And fun.
Oh – and freedom and the future of our world and nation.
(Lots of “F” words there.)
I felt more of a sense of control back in the days when the daily newspaper collected the disparate voices and all the news that could fit.
Or, as one of our ad reps once said when giving a newsroom tour:
“What goes on the page around the ads.”
That apparent joke went over like a lead balloon.
The truth is that even then, the sense of control was an illusion.
But since I was part of the machinery putting it all together, I felt connected and calm.
Today, I often feel very disconnected – and anything but calm.
I wonder if that’s what these Substack authors (several of whom are my friends) feel. This is their attempt to connect, to find some sense of order or meaning. And to hope that people are reading, responding and reflecting.
(In that case, how is what I’m doing here much different?)
And I know the online media sites are the descendants of the newsrooms where I toiled for three decades and countless others across the nation spent their lives. I respect their work,even when I fail to consume it.
I’m not sure what the solution is. I know it’s not a daily digest of headlines.
Those rarely entice me to click through, and when they do, I can’t remember the passwords to access them.
Multiple email addresses, multiple Google Password caches – all too much.
My name is Chuck.
And I’m a recovering newshound and current blogaholic.
Maybe this is step one toward feeling less guilt andregaining agency. Maybe I can take time each day to read at least one piece in the in-box.
Before I take the drastic step of unsubscribing, let’s see if I can swing that admittedly modest goal.
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