R: Don't Read the News

We can hardly go a day without the President of the United States taking to Twitter to attack the "Fake News" media.  While an entirely other debate could be held on the validity of his remarks, there's no question that these claims have accompanied, in the last few years, the sensationalization of the national media outlets.  The desire for increased readership/viewership has driven a rise in spectacular headlines that proceed pulpy articles.

While there are still good journalists who craft thoughtful original content, they are becoming fewer and farther between.  With this trend in place, what then becomes of our duty as active participants in our democracy?  Is there value in attempting to stay informed?  If this is true, is there a point beyond which we are experiencing information overload and we begin to do a disservice?  How can we work to sort out what content is worth engaging with, and what should be avoided?