24-hour TV news is in a position where there is only so much data, but the staff has to keep talking to avoid dead air. What we end up with is mostly speculation and banter without a lot of substance. The next big reveal is always after the commercial break, and there's only enough morsels to keep you watching, never enough to satisfy one's curiosity.

In spite of the urgency with which television news is framed, very little of what makes the news has short-term consequences to me. Typically if there's a situation where I'm affected, I already know about it. The streets are flooding, the phone is receiving alerts, or whatever. Everything else can be reflected upon over a period of time. One thing I've noticed with regards to TV news is how little agency I have as a person over the situations presented. It's a litany of reminders of things we can't control.