My Top Five News Sources

Within today's extremely interconnected society, news is everywhere - and can travel like wildfire. It is equally important for consumers to inform themselves on multiple news and networking platforms to ensure non-biased and truthful news. With the platforms that I interact with, I try to investigate the sources, think for myself, and evaluate the news or story by discussing it with others. In college, I have found it much harder to sit down and watch the news. I find myself leaning towards social media sites and news websites for daily and national headlines. Here are my top five most used news sources. 

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1.  Instagram: 

               

                While using Instagram for my personal use, I often find myself scrolling upon and searching for different news accounts, as well as accounts which serve as PSA's and petitions. I love to look at accounts such as @impact and @environment, which depict environmental crises and the stories which involve them, as well as celebrity news accounts like @enews and @popculture. Since Instagram posts are owned media, they cannot be regulated, which makes deciphering the legitimacy of a source difficult. Though some posts may hold a particular bias, I tend to be more interested and listen to a news story if it is presented as an infographic or short video reel. 

      2. TikTok

                  

                 Though TikTok is most known for funny videos, dances, etc., I find a good amount of credible news through the popular platform. I am able to scroll through current pop culture events and their results, such as the Grammy Awards or the Oscars. Some of my favorite Instagram news accounts have TikTok accounts as well, such as @impact and @enews. I follow @espn for sports news and statistics, @foxnews and @abcnews for nightly news topics, and @viceworldnews for global topics and stories. Some other topics that I follow on TikTok detail true crime cases being solved, philanthropy accounts, and internship/job accounts. I tend to mindlessly scroll on social medias like TikTok, where the seemingly endless amount of reels are at my fingertips. However, I like to watch these news videos through TikTok due to their presentation, content, and engaging atmosphere. 

        3. Apple News

                

                    While scrolling on my phone, I will sometimes receive notifications from Apple News, which is built in on all Apple devices. I find this app the one I turn to most, due to its convenience and accessible interface. I like this app because it takes headlining stories from other news platforms, like FOX and The Huffington Post, and places them all into one space - I feel as if this is great for reducing bias, as all different sides of the political spectrum are together on one page. I find the stories which Apple produces to be mostly centered around pop culture, which I believe is a smart move for the neutrality of Apple's company. 

        4. Google

                    Often, I will hear about a current event, and Google search it to find out more information and "investigate" about the topic myself.  There are a few issues with finding credible sources on Google - some of them being sponsored advertisements by different news stations and agencies, as well as Wikipedia and sites that can be edited by anyone, and are not monitored for accuracy. Though it may be harder to find 100% accurate information on search engines such as Google, they are extremely convenient if you know where to click. 

        5. Word Of Mouth

                    Lastly, I hear a lot of news via conversations with friends and family. When a national news event occurs, my mom may call me, or my friend may mention it in class. I think that having genuine conversations about current events is a great way to educate yourself and others who may. not thin the same way that you do. Reducing biases when conversing with others about sensitive news topics - or even topics that may not be sensitive to you personally - is a great way to "put yourself in their shoes" and take a more neutral approach to news.