This is Hidden Brain. I'm Shankar Vedantam.

When Aitan Hirsch was growing up, newspapers were a central part of the family's daily routine.

My parents raised me and my siblings in a politically engaged environment. At least I thought so.

You know, we always were, we knew what was going on in the news. The newspaper was delivered to our home.

After Aitan went off to college,

his father kept reading, listening to the radio, staying up to speed. And then a few years ago,

Aetan learned that his dad had developed a new habit. He would lie on his bed at night and watch

cable news. Aetan, now a political scientist, found this puzzling. I've never really gotten into cable news. It's never been something I've enjoyed. I asked him why I was doing it, and he said, you know, it's our duty to be informed. And I said, but you already are informed. You know, you've already read the newspaper. You've already listened to all the radio. What possibly more could you be getting from this?

I think in the end it was pretty clear that he just likes politics. A lot of people like politics.

And to decompress at night, you know, more than the Food Network, the Kardashians, whatever else is on TV, he likes watching cable news.

Millions of Americans are like Aiton's dad.

They eagerly follow television personalities and the ups and downs of the latest scandal in Washington.

Nearly a month after the House passed two lame articles of impeachment against President Trump.

They know who testified in California. They know who testified as a TV star Kim Kardashian, who has visited the president.

Thanks for Washington.

See an instant I, Don Lemon starts now.

They know who testified on Capitol Hill.

Tense moments in the room between Democrats and Republicans.

How is that at least perceived rivalry within the White House shaking out?

And they know what the rumor mills are saying about the people in power at the White House.

If you ask them why they follow the news so closely, they will tell you what Aitan's father told him.

It's an act of civic virtue to stay informed.

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