In our first assignment, we are asked to share our main sources of news information, but for most of us, it all comes from one place: the Internet. The internet is the medium in which we interact with most information on a daily basis, as a direct result of the internet's utility. Using the internet for communication, information gathering, and a medium to spread information are all completely fine, those actions are the direct purpose of the creation of the internet. It should be noted, however, that most, if not all of our sources of information come from digital mediums in the modern day.
My first news source, however, is one which was originally print - The Washington Post. Living in Southern Maryland, the District always has an overbearing affect on the local news outside of the Capitol. However, newspapers centered in the district will also cover other relevant local news, so I can get high-power reporting on issues local to my friends and family at home. I can also get relatively center-left political discussion, which I can balance out rhetoric by reading the same topics covered by conservative news outlets. I pay for the monthly subscription myself, and mostly read it through their website.
My main news source can be found in reddit.com. Information is sorted on the website fairly simply - based on the upvotes and downvotes of millions of users, relevant global and national news can be curated by the people, to determine which news is most important to the most people. At least in theory, that would be the case. In practice, news is sorted well by relevance, but political commentary and some news may be overinflated or suppressed based on the moderation of the community the post was made in. However, for the most part, I will learn about deaths of celebrities, major world events, and other national news on reddit before I hear about it anywhere else. The fact that anyone can post and any post can make the front page means new information and content is always being found or created, making it an ideal source for information.
Another news source I read is the New Yorker. They write long investigative pieces on various stories around the world, and what I consider to be one of the last bastions of good journalism in modern media. Their journalists are top tier, reporting on stories with over a decade of background information. Long-form reporting on larger scale topics and ideas, broadening my sense of the world and how it came to be the way it is, among other things. If I ever want to learn something new about the world, or try to get a handle on what I do know about it currently, the New Yorker is a good spot to hear solid reporting on the issues I care about. I also pay for a digital-only subscription to the New Yorker out of my own pocket.
When it comes to campus news, I go to instagram. I can follow numerous official accounts of my favorite celebrities, companies, social and school organizations. I can get updates on how my friend's lives are going, but also receive important information about events and policies being going on on campus. For information and news regarding campus life, I turn to Instagram to fill that role
Finally, my last source of news comes from youtube. I subscribe to multiple accounts that both cover and react to various developments in the modern world, and many who attempt to explain causes and effects of these events, among other channels. When I am curious about how something works, I go to youtube to figure it out. When I want to figure out how the world is working, there is someone out there on youtube providing up to date, thoughtful commentary. It takes time to find and build a large group of quality content creators in your feed, but there is endless untapped potential for learning when it comes to what you can find on the platform.
While all of my sources I consume through a digital medium, these sources are not any less veritable. All of them are susceptible to posting fake news, so the most important thing to remember when consuming modern media, and especially digital media, is to verify sources before you let them change your opinion.
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