TOPIC 2: THE INFORMATION YOU CONSUME



While growing up, the news was something I often avoided. If I walked into the living room and heard any sort of reporter on the TV, I would turn around and find something else to do. I’m not sure how, or when, I developed this disinterest in the news, but in a sense it lead me to be ignorant to the issues happening in our world. As I got older, and the presence of technology grew, the news was not something I could just tune out anymore. With just the touch of a button, I now had access to more information from many different sources. The main three I consider my main sources of information are Facebook, New York Times,


My mornings usually begin by having a cup of coffee and scrolling through various social media sites, as many people my age do. All these different platforms provide some news information, but the one I view the most is Facebook. According to a report, A News Use Across Social Media Platforms 2016, by jeffrey Gottfried and Elisa Shearer, 66% of Facebook users get news from the site, and only 38% of them are seeking out news information, while the other 62% get the news because they are doing other things online. Although social media is easily accessible and can provide a vast amount of information, I often question how reliable it is. If 62% of Facebook users are receiving news simply because they are scrolling through their feed, the information they are viewing may not be trustworthy. Just because your favorite uncle shared a video regarding the latest issue in America, does not mean that information is credible. Although I question if it is reliable, Facebook is one of my go to for news information. Facebook provides people with news without them actively searching for it, which is something I often avoid. It has become a way for me to start to become more educated and interested in the news.


My other sources of news are New York Times and ABC News. As I have stated before, the news is not something I have always enjoyed or actively searched for, therefore these two sources were presented to me by different people. In most of my classes, articles from The New York Times, were used for discussions and lessons. While ABC news is what my family has always used for their news sources. I find these two sources credible based on a chart created by Vanessa Otero. This chart is about bias among news sources and which ones are widely accepted. The chart, provided below, shows that both of these sources are among those that actually show news.  


The term “fake news” has been very present in the media lately. A survey conducted by Pew Research Center, discusses the concern of fake news. More specifically it states, “ most Americans suspect that made-up news is having an impact. About two-in-three U.S. adults (64%) say fabricated news stories cause a great deal of confusion about the basic facts of current issues and events.” As someone who already struggles with the news, I also have become even more confused on facts of current issues and events, leading me to be concerned on the information on the media sites we use. Many fake news stories are shared every day, and sometimes it can be hard to tell what's real and what is not. Well at least for me it is. As someone who doesn’t have a strong desire to search out news, I often don't share the news stories I come across. If I did I presume steps would need to be taken before spreading this news, such as researching and considering where this information came from and how reliable they are.

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