Conscious News Consumption and Personal Well-being for Resilience

Key Quotes

"You know, at T believes hearing a voice can change everything. It's why we love a good podcast, or we save voicemails from loved ones because we appreciate the sound of a familiar voice. When I need a pick me up, I call my friend Willie. Willie and I have known each other for nearly 25 years. He's just an incredibly close friend, and I laugh my, you know what off every time we talk. That's my guy."

The speaker, Tom Llamas, highlights the profound impact of human connection through voice. He uses his personal anecdote about calling his friend Willie to illustrate how familiar voices can provide comfort and joy, emphasizing that these connections are deeply valuable. This underscores the idea that auditory communication holds a unique power to affect our emotional well-being.

"You know, I think what I've noticed with people when I'm off the air, a lot of times people may not outwardly want to speak about themselves or talk about themselves, but when you ask them questions and you truly are curious about them, I find that people do open up. And I've always loved to ask people questions, whether I'm on the job or not. Like, I like to get to really know people and to connect with people on a deeper level."

Tom Llamas explains his approach to connecting with people by emphasizing genuine curiosity and asking questions. He believes that by showing authentic interest in others, even those who might initially be reserved, they will eventually open up. Llamas sees this as a fundamental way to build deeper relationships, both professionally and personally.

"You know, I mentioned the sex abuse scandal and I think obviously horrific because of the victims and what happened to these children and probably the worst thing that's ever happened at least in modern times to Catholics and to Christians, right? But I think what was so hurtful about that entire episode that it was done by people who so many had put faith in who had these people that others had listened to and those people lost their way as well."

Tom Llamas reflects on the impact of the Catholic Church's sex abuse scandal, noting its horrific nature for the victims. He points out that the betrayal was amplified because it was perpetrated by individuals in positions of trust and authority, leading many to lose faith in those they once admired. Llamas suggests that this loss of faith stems from these leaders straying from their core principles.

"I mean, I think on big news events like after an election night and and you're on the air for several hours going live, Dan, you remember those nights. You know about those nights where you're presenting something that is incredibly important to the audience, something incredibly important that is happening on that night, and you have to be there for everybody and you have to make sure that you're playing at your best. And when that night is done, oh yeah, like you are sitting down and you're sort of absorbing everything that just happened."

Tom Llamas describes the intense experience of anchoring major news events, such as election nights. He explains that after hours of live broadcasting, where the pressure is to perform at one's highest level for the audience, there is a crucial moment of decompression. Llamas highlights the need to pause and absorb the events that have just transpired.

"The way I live with it is that I just, I don't ever forget them. And I, I make a promise to myself that if we need to go back, we will go back. So we won't forget about that community because we have the benefit of parachuting in sometimes into these these natural disasters, but we know at some point we're getting out. The people that are living through that, they're not going to get out. They're going to have to deal with this."

Tom Llamas addresses how he copes with covering difficult stories, particularly natural disasters. He emphasizes the importance of not forgetting the affected communities, even after the initial news coverage ends. Llamas acknowledges that journalists can leave a situation, but the people living through the aftermath must continue to deal with the long-term consequences.

"My parents taught us to be very proud Americans, and I know that there's there's laws and you've got to follow the laws. And so as a reporter, I take all that out of it and I just use what I have, which is my skills, knowing that I can speak Spanish, I can get the story on this side. I can speak to border patrol on this side, obviously in English, and to understand what the immigrant experience is."

Tom Llamas explains how his family's history as immigrants shapes his approach to covering immigration stories. He states that while his parents instilled pride in being American and respecting laws, he, as a reporter, sets aside personal biases. Llamas leverages his Spanish language skills to gain a deeper understanding of the immigrant experience from multiple perspectives, aiming to tell the story truthfully.