My Five Sources of News and Information
I’ll be the absolute first to admit it- I don’t check the news every single day. Personally, I often find it depressing and just plain sad. There is constant news about someone dying, someone’s house getting broken into, someone’s murder. Maybe I’m just a “glass half full” type of girl, but I hope that for every depressing news story, there is a surplus of happier ones. They’ve got to be out there somewhere!
That being said, I’m not a hermit. I try to keep up with what is going on (even if it is at an extremely basic level!) and value the importance of staying updated on the world around us. So when I do take the plunge into the ever-daunting world of news, here is what I utilize.
1. Local News Affiliate (13WHAM ABC, Rochester, NY)
I’ve grown up watching our local ABC affiliate for as long as I can remember. It provides me with both the local news for the Greater Rochester, NY area as well as national and world news. I’ve enjoyed the emphasis that 13WHAM has placed on featuring local businesses during the coronavirus pandemic. Places that I probably wouldn’t find myself normally interested in visiting I now want to support. I find myself feeling like I know the newscasters personally, even though I’ve never met any of them in person before. That’s what makes local news special-you entrust your newscasters with your viewership over a prolonged period of time, and they become part of your “family”. I'd recommend this news source to anyone because you get a great mix of local, national, and global news! You also can get a greater understanding of the community that you live in.
2. Twitter
This one I am slightly embarrassed about. I am trying to move away from using this platform as a news source. It’s hard to believe what is true and what is false, due to the freedom to share any information that you want. It’s so easy to click the “explore” button and get caught up on what’s going on in the world. Another downside with Twitter is that I normally am not getting local news updates on the explore page. Global and national news are usually the only types of news on the page. I do enjoy using Twitter for sports updates, though. The updates are quick and normally accurate (especially if you follow the actual sports team’s verified Twitter account). I love the Buffalo Bills, and I follow their official Twitter account. It’s a great way to get the inside scoop on game days and to see how the franchise interacts with the city of Buffalo and surrounding communities. I'd recommend Twitter to everyone, but at your own risk. Due to the high volume of tweets and limited fact-checking, it's important to take these tweets with a grain of salt.
3. YouTube
YouTube I enjoy for many reasons, not just for news content. Again, it’s difficult to get the truth due to the creator’s complete control over what they are posting. I have noticed that YouTube is placing more restrictions and disclaimers on videos, especially those regarding the election and COVID-19. This should definitely be monitored-we shouldn’t allow for more censorship than there already is. The news that I consume on this app is not usually in the “hard news” category (meaning that they are urgent and breaking). Most of the time, I watch things in the “soft news” category. I actually just watched a feature story on the brand new Moynihan Train Hall in New York City. I know that is incredibly random, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! 60 Minute feature stories also consumed quite frequently. YouTube’s algorithm is great because I often get recommended videos that relate to the one that I’m currently watching. Then, I get sucked down a rabbit hole. Oh well! I'd recommend YouTube for news and feature stories that you may not find on television (or easily find, anyway!).
4. Word-of-Mouth
https://www.google.com/ (In Order To Fact Check!)
As I said before, I don’t watch the news very often. I’ve watched even less during the past year or so. Therefore, I get my news by word-of-mouth quite often. Whether it’s a friend or family member, I try and listen to their side of the story, even though it is often laced with incredible amounts of bias. If I want to learn more about what they’ve said, I’ll Google the event after I’ve left to see if there is truth to what they have told me. This is a never-ending cycle, however. If they are getting their information from a source that is providing false information and I read it, I’m continuing the trend of false ideas. I’m curious if we will see any changes in this as the years go on. Right now, I imagine that it will get worse before it gets better, but I could be totally wrong. Like Twitter, I'd recommend this practice hesitantly. Take what you hear with a grain of salt, as you may not truly know the truth! This source is a great way to stay engaged with those around you, though.
5. The Skating Lesson (TSL)
https://twitter.com/SkatingLesson
This one is quite specific. Growing up as a competitive figure skater for almost 15 years of my life, I continue to try and stay “in the loop” with what is going on in the skating world. The Skating Lesson is an organization that strives to provide the news and gossip surrounding figure skating. What I really enjoy about this group is that they provide news on a global and national scale. This group has a YouTube channel, Instagram account, and Twitter account. They create YouTube videos titled "This and That", which highlight the news in the skating world after competitions. I especially enjoy their commentary during The United States National Championships, as contributors to their accounts often travel to the venue and provide skating fans with the inside scoop. It can be gossipy at times, but skating is FILLED with drama, so fans eat it up. Some of their stories are quite specific, so it’s hard to confirm if they are actually true or not (they could involve a skater and their aunt/uncle/grandfather, so not many people can confirm or deny if an accusation is true)- which could potentially hurt a skater’s chances of getting selected to National or World teams. I'd recommend this source of news if you are really into figure skating (which is a very specific niche!) or if you're looking to learn more about the ins and outs of the sport.
Sources:
https://twitter.com/SkatingLesson
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