In my case, @emp, the effects are related to my state of consciousness/attention/pure intent in that moment: if it is good, that kind of exposure tends to motivate me or at most to leave me in the same state; if not, the emotions (anxiety, sadness) tend to grow.
The day before yesterday, reading about the Russia-Ukraine conflict while feeling good, there were the usual reflections related to the stupidity of war, how instinct dominates, and so on. Naturally, these reflections were accompanied by mild feelings of unpleasant hedonic tones, but I still felt good (my level of awareness/attention/pure intent was good).
Yesterday, however, one of my daughters was watching “Saving Private Ryan.” I stopped to watch a bit in the midst of work issues and was reminded of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Reflections arose regarding how human beings never learn from previous conflicts, etc., again accompanied by mild natural feelings of a negative hedonic tone.
After a while I went for a walk thinking about those work issues, but by association of ideas quickly triggered memories, thoughts, imaginations, related to very complicated current family situations. Negative feelings (sadness, self-pity, anxiety) then arose.
When I started to observe the chain of events that led me to that state, I noticed that the work issues had put me on “autopilot” (my state of consciousness/attention/pure intent was not good), that in that state I looked at the images of the movie, that in that state I reflected about the human learning, etc., without noticing that the natural unpleasant hedonic feelings turned into negative feelings. In that unconscious state I started the walk and I was met by thoughts and memories about the aformentioned family problems, which worsened those negative feelings.
Once I went back to a neutral state I managed to pin-point those causes and mechanisms, and then I felt good again thanks to a good state of consciousness/attention/pure intent. And, like reading bad news in a good state, I was able to continue reflecting on those family problems while still feeling good.