The news shows what went wrong today, not the millions of things that went right. That’s its job, not the full picture.

A bulletin is a selection, and the rule of the selection is that ordinary functioning is not news. Buses that ran, operations that worked and arguments settled quietly never appear, so a day of watching leaves you with an accurate list of problems and a badly distorted sense of proportion. The reporting is not dishonest. It answers a narrower question than the one you are asking.

When a story leaves you sure everything is collapsing, look up at the ordinary street outside and take in what is quietly working. Then go back to being informed.