Why slower news is so appealing in the post-coronavirus world

The appetite for lighter, evergreen and more human-led stories seems to have grown among Voices readers, writes Kuba Shand-Baptiste

(PA)

Almost needless to say, living in the post-covid world has not been easy.  And, understandably, consuming endless content about our ever-changing version of normality has been a challenge in itself. 

It makes sense then, that as people tire of keeping a watchful eye on the doomsday clock, the appetite for lighter,  evergreen and more human-led stories seems to have grown among Voices readers. Though the appetite for politics certainly hasn’t waned (thanks in part to the constant flow of issues within Boris Johnson’s government) there has been a great deal of interest in comment that responds to the stories that don’t serve as bleak reminders of whatever’s yet to come. 

One of the pieces that best captured that sense of coronavirus malaise this week was Konnie Huq’s Voices article on the positives and pitfalls of switching off from the daily news agenda. A situation she found herself in unexpectedly after an unplanned break from technology during a trip to Devon. We can all relate to the sense of liberation that comes with limiting our reliance on technology, or vowing to reduce the amount of time we spend consuming and mulling over distressing stories. Which is perhaps why it seems there’s been even more of a hunger for slower and lighter stories about personal experiences and pop culture lately. 

When Adele posted a photo in commemoration of what would have been Notting Hill carnival last week, the resulting diaspora war felt all-consuming. What had started out as an ill-advised decision to post a photo of herself wearing her hair in Bantu knots and a Jamaican flag bikini top, spiralled into something much more complex. Despite the worldwide scramble to offer opinions on the matter,  and whether the singer was guilty of cultural appropriation, the UK’s Caribbean community was uniquely poised to explain the ins and outs of the situation, while still acknowledging the humour of it all. Chanté Jospeh’s Voices piece: “Adele, Bantu knots and a Jamaica flag bra: how the cultural appropriation conversation sparked a diaspora war” managed to capture exactly the perspective that needed to be heard at the time. 

And in terms of evergreen stories, Susan Shapiro’s  US Voices article: “I encouraged my students to write warts-and-all confessional books. Then one wrote about me”, perfectly illustrates how engaging unique personal pieces can be,  especially when you desperately need to switch off.  

The situation may well change. We could soon be itching for more coronavirus-related comment in the coming months, depending on how much further the pandemic spirals (or not). With no way of knowing for sure how that’ll play out, there are always other distractions by way of other people’s opinions. 

Yours 

Kuba Shand-Baptiste

Deputy voices editor