Christina Littlefield is an associate professor of journalism and religion at Pepperdine University.
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Consuming the News Without Letting It Consume You
The Bible says “be watchful,” not “be perpetually outraged.”
IT’S JULY 2017. I’m watching The Rachel Maddow Show while on a visit to my parents in Las Vegas. Maddow gives a long monologue detailing the background of a Trump administration official. She’s 15 minutes in before she explains why listeners should care. I don’t remember the details. I do remember yelling at the TV that Maddow needed to stop burying the lead. I would definitely fail her in introductory newswriting.
I also remember marveling at how my hippie libertarian father had transformed from a George W. Bush voter into a Maddow devotee. My dad started watching MSNBC after he became disillusioned with the second Iraq War, first religiously watching political commentator Keith Olbermann, then Maddow. Like many cable news viewers, he relished their emotional delivery, particularly their outrage and “can you believe this” shtick. Stuck at home due to a prolonged, terminal illness, he watched for hours and came to share their outrage. He voted Democrat for the first time in 2004, at age 50. Over time, even my father’s most strongly held views shifted.
Fast forward to May 2025. As part of my academic research on Christian nationalism, I’m in Phoenix attending Freedom Night with Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk. The event is held in the massive auditorium of Dream City Church. The woman sitting behind me sings joyously off key during the 15 minutes of worship music. Now she’s chirping along to Kirk’s commentary with amens and Fox News-isms, such as “Sleepy Joe.”