Choosing words wisely

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Faced with another broadcast outside Number 10 Downing Street for yet another address from the prime minister amid seemingly endless indicative votes, you might have felt tempted to reach for the remote. Almost three years on from the referendum, Brexit had reached saturation point.

While we felt we had to keep tuning in to stay on top of events, it was hard to devote the attention required and the protracted debate and wall-to-wall coverage seemed to leave many of us feeling exhausted. According to Britain Thinks’ most recent Brexit research, 83% of respondents said they were ‘fed up’ of seeing it on the news every day. Moreover, 64% agreed that ‘anxiety about Brexit is bad for people’s mental health’.

It seems news fatigue is bearing out on the other side of the Atlantic, too – according to Pew Research Center, almost seven in 10 Americans feel ‘worn out’ by the amount of news they get.

But while some are clearly ...