While reducing one's media consumption is a healthy goal, the author has a very odd conception of "making a meaningful difference." Does donating $50 to Red Cross not make a difference? Sure it does- that's $50 that, minus overhead or whatever, can be spent on something like medical care for those who wouldn't otherwise receive it. Its just the same as $50 to your local medical charity, in that respect; for that matter, with Red Cross, the overheads are likely lower (economy of scale and all) so it makes more of a difference. Only you don't get a thank-you card from the kid the next town over whose antibiotics you paid for; if that card is the "meaningful difference" you crave, okay, but otherwise...?

Same in other respects, of course. You can make a meaningful difference to things like the Syrian conflict or what-have-you, the issue is that these issues are just so huge that a meaningful difference isn't likely going to be visible. The question is, do you want to make a difference in the world to see yourself being powerful and nice, or for an objective desire to have good effects in the world?