HN is far from a firehose. The topics are not volatile, and junk-information full of rumour and innuendo rarely makes it to the top.
It also mixes some current affairs and talking points with industry specific information.
If I could liken it to the difference between a fast-food joint and a quality cafe. Sometimes the menu and the conversation aren't to my liking, but on occasions it is a good place to spend some time.
TLDR: learning can take place here, in fast-news there is no learning, just button pushing of the audience. The news industry has self optimised to push emotional buttons to get a response.
