How do you stay informed in this world of 24/7 news? We have a plethora of choices. Not all are responsible sources. Not all ascribe to serious journalism standards.
My friends’ morning routine includes going online to these websites: CNN, the New York Times, the Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and BBC. They turn to the CNN channel for a few minutes for the latest updates. In the evening, they watch MSNBC’S The Rachel Maddow Show.
As former journalists, Deborah and Larry have identified the news sources they trust. But there are others.
I am definitely not a news geek, but I want to stay informed. It’s imperative especially in these dangerous times to stay woke. You could say it’s the duty of all good citizens to be aware and alert to what’s happening in our country and to hold our government officials accountable. Morning is my writing time, and following the news at the level of my friends would take too big a chunk out of my morning. First, I’m a slow reader and sometimes it’s not just my slowness; my Internet slows down. Secondly, I don’t have a television in my apartment. Even though I have access to one in our building’s community room, it’s not always convenient.
Nevertheless at some point in the day, I can go online to CNN, then to the Washington Post or the New York Times. I’ve been a fan of the Times, but hadn’t read the Post much. Right in our nation’s capital, the Post is geographically closer to the political scene and late-breaking scandals. Being imbedded in D.C., they provide an immediacy to their news. Of course the Times has a D.C. bureau to keep on top of the news there.
I agree with Deborah about the importance of following some foreign news sources. What do other countries think about our President and American events? I like The Guardian and watch CBC and BBC from time to time, but not daily. That’s the best that I can do.
Other television news I watch occasionally include PBS News Hour. 60 Minutes is a television news magazine on CBS and also very informative. On the radio, I listen to NPR. And I subscribe to The Atlantic for its well-written articles on topics important to me.
More than ever it’s important to support good journalism and subscribe to news magazines, newspapers, and other news sources you trust.
Larry is biased toward newspapers, but he makes a good point. He says, “Papers are one of the best sources of coherent, calmly displayed information about what is happening….The strength of newspapers is in detail, and learning that detail makes us all smarter and better citizens.”
According to Walter Cronkite, “Journalism is what we need to make democracy work.”
I would add that we process information differently when reading compared to watching something. Reading has always been a thoughtful process for me. Sometimes I need to re-read. Sometimes I need to stop and think about what I just read. Sometimes I need to follow up an article by reading another source to confirm or dispute the original story. Reading develops critical thinking, a quality that is frankly crucial in today’s world.
Besides I’m old school. I like holding a physical newspaper or magazine or book. It provides a more sensory experience than reading a screen. I like flipping the pages, sometimes back and forth, and maybe underlining something. Since I can’t afford to subscribe to everything, the library is a great resource for newspapers and magazines. Reading online is a different experience for me and I admit to getting screen fatigue even though or especially since so much is available at my fingertips.
However, reading online news cannot be avoided. Another online news source I read is Matt from WTF Just Happened Today?, which is exactly how I frequently feel since last November. This site compiles the day’s headlines from various national news sources that cover the latest chaos in the White House.
Generations growing up with the Internet will likely disagree, but quality of news or information makes a difference, not quantity. Having infinite choices 24/7 is not necessarily a good thing.
And this bears repeating: Facebook is not a news source.
Loreen Lilyn Lee 