Final Blog Post

For our final blog post, we were assigned to watch the Academy Award nominated film, "Good Night, and Good Luck." This film was about the relationship between the press and the government during the Joseph McCarthy era in the 1950s. The story depicted the journalist Edward R. Murrow and how his television show became dedicated to showing the atrocities from Senator McCarthy, despite CBS News' point of view.

Image retrieved from Wikipedia.

Transhistoric means that multiple traits or qualities can be cut across periods of time. After watching the film, I noticed that the transhistoric relationship between the press and the government with a society aspiring to democracy during the 1950s is similar to the way the press acts in today's political world. During the McCarthy era, the senator's goal was to accuse Americans of belonging to the Communist party without significant proof. This term was commonly referred to as "McCarthyism" and many that were accused of belonging to the Communist party, didn't actually belong to it.

I believe that there is a transhistoric relationship from this time period to today's world because of the way the press treats President Donald Trump in office. If you turn on Fox News, it will not take long to realize that the journalists are going to defend Trump in all circumstances and blame the left for anything that goes wrong. If you turn on CNN, they are most likely to be blaming Trump for all mistakes, despite if he is actually at fault or not. This parallels to how McCarthy treated the American people. He was so convinced in believing that the Communist party was at fault for all wrongdoings, that he began to accuse innocent people of being involved just because he needed someone to blame.

News sources that are more liberal on the political spectrum, such as CNN, MSNBC, etc., parallel to McCarthy's way of action because many journalists look for the quickest and easiest person to blame. In today's case: Donald Trump. News sources that are more conservative on the political spectrum, such as Fox News, parallel to journalist Murrow's course of action. Murrow was determined to present the facts of all of the wrongdoings by telling his viewers that McCarthy is at fault. This is similar to how conservative news sources point out the false claims from the liberal news sources and other candidates in the opposing party.

Although this is what I noticed as commonalities after watching the movie, it does not mean that the Democratic party is always in the wrong and the Republican party is not. Both parties blame the other no matter the circumstance, especially in the press. Today's political climate consists of many journalists that are more willing to fill their ego by presenting who's at fault instead of telling their followers the truth.

The third clause of the First Amendment states, "Congress shall make no law... abridging the freedom of the press." Since it is specifically stated in the Bill of Rights, it means that it is a "fundamental personal right," the strongest type of right in the constitutional system. Every American has the right to say what they want to say and publish what they want to publish. However, it does not always seem like that.

In the film, Murrow's show was owned and aired by CBS News. At the end of the movie, CBS made it very clear that they did not enjoy how Murrow had turned his show from late night entertainment into a political outcry. They decided to cut his daily show to only airing on Sunday evenings and only gave him five shows left before he would be asked to leave the company. This situation accurately depicts how controlling large news corporations can be. I believe it is understandable for a news station to put some limitations on what their shows can do to prevent any harm. However, it appears that CBS was more upset about the content Murrow was producing instead of the way he was producing it.

It made me wonder about how controlling Fox News and CNN must be to their journalists. Although the journalist must believe most, if not everything, they are telling their viewers, if they had the slightest bit of truth that could put their political party in bad light, they would never air it. The values of news organizations focus so heavily on blaming their enemies that their journalists forget the real reason behind their job: telling the truth.

Murrow did a great job of being a true journalist in the film because he presented facts with evidence to back up his claims. His purpose was to expose McCarthy, but he did it in the best interest of the people. He wanted Americans to know his lies and accusations because he believed it was unethical and that it should be stopped. If more American journalists did this today, I believe it would be a lot easier to find a credible news source.

Overall, I really enjoyed the movie "Good Night, and Good Luck" because it showed the behind the scenes of what it takes to pull off a television show. I think the film did a very good job of depicting the 1950s era through black and white by showing how the news show was produced and emphasizing the values during the McCarthy era. This movie really made me think about how corrupt news stations can be because of the severe lack of wanting to show the facts. I admire Edward R. Murrow for his work in this film and as an aspiring journalist, I hope that I can present the truth through broadcast or print just like him in the future.


Related Work:
Good Night, and Good Luck

Journo Heroes EOTO Presentation

Attached is my EOTO Presentation for my Journalism Hero blog post on Anna Quindlen. Enjoy!

Journo Heroes: Anna Quindlen

After reviewing the assignment about writing about an influential journalist, I decided to research and write about journalist Anna Quindlen, a famous columnist for the New York Times.

Image retrieved from GoodReads.com.

Quindlen joined the New York Times in 1977 as a general assignment reporter, later on being named the paper's deputy metropolitan editor in 1983. She wrote well-known columns for the paper including, "About New York" and "Life in the 30's."

Amongst her work at the Times from 1981 to 1994, Quindlen became the third woman in the paper's history to write a regular column for its influential Op-Ed page. This column, "Public and Private," won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 1992.

In 1995, she decided to leave the newspaper world and began writing her own novels. Amongst some of her top-selling books, one became a Universal feature film, one was chosen for Oprah's Book Club, one appeared as a television film, and one was the first novel to ever appear in the fiction, nonfiction, and self-help NY Times Best Seller lists. She is also the author of a collection of essays, which were all very successful.

Overall, Quindlen is best known for appearing in some of the country's most influential newspapers, most well-known magazines, and on top of both fiction and nonfiction best seller lists. In my opinion, Anna Quindlen deserves to be in the list of the top 100 most influential journalists because of not only her award-winning content, but her diverse writing skills and ability to adapt to any project. She is very admirable as an aspiring journalist.


Related Articles:
Anna Quindlen Bio

Birth of Modern Journalism

Three interlocking phenomenas that marked a turn in American journalism were the penny press, yellow journalism, and muckraking. Although these three elements began at the turn of the 20th century, we are able to see how they all play in today's modern journalism.

Image retrieved from Apprend.

Penny press were cheap, mass-produced, tabloid-style newspapers made in the United States from the 1830s onwards. These kinds of newspapers were essential for the middle class to receive the news because they were made and sold at such a cheap price. In my opinion, I believe that without the penny press middle class citizens would still remain to be less informed on the news in comparison to upper class citizens.

Yellow journalism is a term used for newspapers that present little or no factual information and use exaggerated headlines to boost sales. These kinds of newspapers rely on sensationalism and are known for being unprofessional and unethical sources of news. Although the term started in the early 1900s, it is very ironic to see how it reflects in news coverage today. For example, President Donald Trump has made the term, "fake news," a household phrase when talking about unreliable news sources. This term seems to be the modern day version of yellow journalism.

An example of yellow journalism would be how In Touch Weekly magazine used a fake picture of Kim Kardashian not fitting into her wedding dress with the headline, "Inside Kim's Wedding from Hell." This magazine was unethical for using the fake picture and made it seem like her wedding was horrible, when in reality, it wasn't.

Muckrakers are journalists who exposed established institutions and leaders as corrupt during the Progressive Era. It is known in modern day as investigative or watchdog journalism. This kind of journalism digs deep for the facts, but it is also commonly known for causing scandal. I noticed that this also relates to the work of whistleblowers in modern day journalism as well.

An example of a muckraker would be Australian journalist Julian Assange who exposed the United States military for shooting civilians in Iraq on his website, Wikileaks. This scandal lead to his arrest and he is still trying to get free.

I believe there is a clear line between yellow journalism and muckraking because one presents more exaggerated information and the other presents more factual information, although they both might have underlying bad intentions.


Related Articles:
Penny Press
Yellow Journalism
Muckraker

Civil War & the Press

The American press was an economic, social, and political force during the Civil War era. Journalists craved for stories that went beyond the battlefield, forcing the newspaper and magazine businesses to boom. Along with publications, the improvement of technology turned the press into a form of mass media. Although the press became widely known as a source of entertainment and news, journalism in the North and the South had their differences.

Image retrieved from Interactive WBEZ.

The Civil War was one of the most photographed and illustrated eras in history. Majority of the illustrations published in newspapers and magazines appeared in the North. However, the South lacked illustrations because of insufficient manpower, advertising, and supplies (Risley).

Along with differences in illustrations,  the North and the South expressed different views altogether. In the South, also known as the Confederacy, they were known as being proslavery and antidemocratic (McCurry, 2). The North, also known as the Union, was the opposite perspective supporting antislavery and the democratic party. The South was mostly pro-war and the North was mostly antiwar.

Although the North and the South were very passionate about their viewpoints, there were pro-war voices and antiwar voices on both sides of the spectrum. For example, Alexander Stephens, a man of the Confederate states, expressed during the debate of secession that "slavery was safest in the Union" (McCurry, 22). He became the spokesperson for secession during the war, highlighting that it was the answer for an antislavery movement.

In some Southern newspapers, it stated that the North was growing tired of the war, something that was not in their belief system (Risley, 65). For example, Federals suppressed pro-war a Democratic newspaper in Albany, Indiana for censorship. This, in turn, lead to Lincoln facing criticism within his own political party (Bulla, 191).

Aside from all of the differences that the North and the South had in regards to their journalism, they both experienced a vast number of governmental issues together. All newspapers were forced to not criticize the federal government due to the Alien and Sedition Act, leading to massive break-ins and mob violence from those that thought of the newspapers as "disloyal." Most of the incidents took place in the North, however, the fighting took a devastating toll on the South's press (Risley).

The Civil War changed the way of journalism regardless of the differences amongst the North and the South. Reporting methods and writing styles significantly improved, editors took advantage of technological advancements, and newspapers had more of an audience than ever before. If it weren't for this era, it is unknown if Americans would have been as captivated to breaking news as early as they were.

Civil War, Lincoln, & the Press

During the Civil War, the federal government restricted constitutional liberties, which included freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Contrary to these liberties, union generals decided to eliminate the publishing of battle plans in newspapers for military gain. However, President Abraham Lincoln believed that discontinuing the publishing of battle plans in newspapers was unconstitutional.

Image retrieved from the First Amendment Encyclopedia.

This was the start of a huge debate for the Lincoln administration. The Northern press believed that secession was an inevitable consequence of his policy towards the South. Union loyalists argued that dissent in the press resulted in treason. Northern citizens judged "disloyal" newspapers in an effort to prevent pro-Southern sentiment.

In result of the debate, the military arrested newspaper editors and closed their presses. Lincoln and his cabinet members ordered arrests for the editor of the Freeman's Journal for treasonous statements made in the newspaper (Freeman's Journal), destroyed the office of the Sunday Chronicle (The Washington Chronicle), and arrested the editors of the New York World after two reporters ran an ingenuine proclamation (True Newspaper Courtesy, p. 291).

With the advancement of technology, it led to new types of censorship. The Lincoln administration censored telegraph dispatches to and from Washington to avoid reporters from hacking into the systems. However, in December 1861, the House Judiciary Committee issued a report stating that the government could not interfere with telegraph communications unless under certain circumstances.

Lincoln's purpose for seeking out disparities in the press about military information was to keep border states on the Union's side and rebut claims of exceeding authority for political gain. The Lincoln administration had good reason to be concerned about the press because soldiers sought out and exchanged newspapers across enemy lines on a regular basis. This resulted in Robert E. Lee withdrawing his troops from the defense of Richmond and putting them on the line. Another result of exchanging newspapers was when General Hardee received a copy of the New York Tribune, he learned that Sherman's supply ships were gathering in Morehead City, North Carolina (The War, p. 64). The Union suffered heavy losses in battle due to this and it supported Sherman's view of war correspondents as spies for the enemy.

Some of the reasons behind the arrests from the Lincoln administration were use of treasonable language, disloyalty, threatening Unionists, and inducing desertion. Along with these reasons for arrest, there were bans against items displaying Confederate mottoes or images and some were arrested without legal process for discouraging enlistment into the army. Republicans realized the damage this caused and Secretary Stanton issued an order releasing all persons who had been arrested for discouraging enlistments.

One of the most famous limitations to freedom of speech was from Burnside's General Order No. 38 that stated, "expressed or implied" treason would not be tolerated. This meant that anyone that had the small intent of criticizing the government would be imprisoned. Congressman Clement Vallandigham gave a speech at a Democrat Party rally that stated how much he despised Burnside's Order (Congressional Globe). This resulted in his imprisonment for the remainder of the war. When this case was brought to the Supreme Court, they denied review because they thought that Vallandigham would turn into a martyr. Lincoln turned his sentence from imprisonment to banishment to the Confederacy.

The way that Lincoln and his administration ruled the Constitutional rights of the First Amendment came from the president's war powers under the Constitution, not just the First Amendment itself. The Supreme Court did not address the application of the First Amendment until after the Civil War, so his actions were not necessarily evaluated at full measure yet.

Some argued that Lincoln's actions were somewhat evil, explaining that he violated the Constitution during the war. Others argued that Lincoln's defense of his actions justified his executive powers during wartime (Randall, 1947). Above all, Lincoln explained in a speech in July 1861, "Must a government of necessity, be too strong for the liberties of its own people, or too weak to maintain its own existence?" (Wilson, 2006, p. 78). This question symbolizes that the survival of the nation was the most important constitutional principle and that it rose above the protections of the First Amendment.

Works Cited

Wilson. (2006). Douglas L. Lincoln’s Sword:The Presidency and the Power of Words. Retrieved March 25, 2020.

Randall, J. G. (1947). Lincoln, the liberal statesman: Illustrated. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode.

Blair, F. P., Rives, J. C., Rives, F., & Bailey, G. A. (1834). Appendix. In The Congressional globe ...(pp. 52-60). Washington: Printed at the Globe Office for the editors.

True Newspaper Courtesy. (1868, May 9). Retrieved March 25, 2020, from Gale Primary Sources.

The Washington Chronicle. (1864, August 10). Retrieved March 25, 2020, from Gale Primary Sources.

The War. (1864, January 23). Retrieved March 25, 2020, from Gale Primary Sources.

Asp, D. (n.d.). Civil War, U.S. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/1059/civil-war-u-s

Williams, F. (n.d.). Abraham Lincoln and Civil Liberties in Wartime. Retrieved March 25, 2020, from https://www.heritage.org/defense/report/abraham-lincoln-and-civil-liberties-wartime

Top Tips When Applying for Internships

One of the most important things that I have learned within my first year and a half of college is how crucial internships are when applying for jobs post-grad. Every student needs to have experience either job shadowing or through a paid internship in their desired career field. Here are some of the top tips I gathered after applying for internships over the past few months.

Image retrieved from Chegg.com

1. Have an updated resume and cover letter.
An employer's first impression of a potential employee is their resume and cover letter. Both documents need to be clear, concise, error free, and highlight your most important qualifications for the job. The reason that a resume and cover letter need to be as updated as possible is because the employer needs to know how experienced you are. If all you have listed is experience from over a year ago, they are going to assume that you haven't done any work since then. Having a resume and cover letter that stands out to employers will make you outshine from the other candidates.

2. Understand the position you are applying for.
It is very easy to glance over a job description and not read all of the qualifications. When applying for internships, make sure you really read what the job is. You do not want to apply for a position that wouldn't make you happy and you do not want to accept a position that you are completely clueless about. An employer will know in the interview whether or not you understand the job description, so make sure you read before applying.

3. Be prepared for rejection and no response.
I have currently applied for about 16 internships for the summer of 2020 and have heard back from about half of them. Granted there is still time before the applications closes, it is still unnerving to be waiting around for even a "no." Be prepared for many "no's" and many unanswered questions when applying for internships. That is why it is so important to apply to many in hopes of having more of a chance of getting accepted.


All in all, the internship world is very competitive, but everyone is capable of succeeding as long as they stay organized, are aware of what they are applying for, and are mentally prepared for the potential outcomes.


Related Article:
Top 5 Things to do When Applying for an Internship

Wuhan Woman and the First Amendment

After watching the video of the woman from Wuhan, China, her cry for help about the coronavirus relates to the First Amendment in the United States.

Image retrieved from YouTube.

In the video, the woman expresses her concern for the Chinese government and how regular citizens are suffering from the government's failure to provide basic medicine and care from the coronavirus epidemic. She states that the Chinese Communist Party is a corrupt regime and an evil society, in turn, making it a place where no one can speak freely. If someone tells the truth, the government will detain and adjudicate that citizen.

After watching this video, it left me scared and concerned for the Chinese people. I would hate to live in a country where no one can speak the truth and could be seriously punished for doing so. In the United States, Americans are privileged to have the First Amendment. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech, religion, press, petition, and assembly. Without this guaranteed right, the United States would most likely be a Communist regime similar to China.

Another thing that I noticed after listening to the woman was her determination for getting the truth out. This is similar to the actions of Julian Assange, an Australian journalist that is currently jailed for exposing the United States military. As a journalist, Assange's job is to tell the truth and nothing but the truth. However, when he exposed the truth he was severely punished. This relates to the actions of the Wuhan woman because she could be severely punished for exposing what is really going on with the Chinese government.

In conclusion, I hope that the woman from Wuhan seeks justice and that the Chinese people can experience as something as secure as the First Amendment.


Related Video:
Woman from Wuhan

Mary Margaret McBride

Known as "The First Lady of Radio," Mary Margaret McBride touched the lives of millions through her on-air skills and storytelling capabilities.

Image retrieved from Historic Missourians.

Mary Margaret McBride was born in Paris, Missouri on November 16, 1899 as the eldest of five children to Elizabeth Craig and Thomas Walker McBride. She began to attend public school in her hometown until 1910 when she switched to preparatory school because her great-aunt Albina offered to pay for it. When McBride told Albina that she wanted to be a writer, she stopped paying for the tuition.

In order to pay for school, she began writing for a local newspaper called "Paris Mercury" where she gained experience covering a wide variety of events. After years writing for the paper, she enrolled at the University of Missouri where she received a journalism degree in 1918.

Some of McBride's first work involved reporting for the Mexico Ledger in Mexico, Missouri, reporting for the Cleveland Press in Washington, D.C., and being a publicist with the Interfaith Council in New York City, New York. After working with numerous publications she decided to try freelance work and wrote articles for the Saturday Evening Post, Cosmopolitan, and wrote numerous books under pseudonyms as well as her own name.

Although McBride enjoyed writing, she decided to audition at radio station WOR for a woman's program in 1934, the moment that jumpstarted her career. She was hired to portray a fictional grandmother with a large family by the name of Martha Deane. McBride was required to memorize all the details of her family and by the third week of trying to memorize everyone's names, she grew incredibly frustrated and gave up trying. On the radio show, she confessed who she really was to the listeners, explaining that all she wanted to do was be a reporter and tell the listeners about the people she meets and the places she goes. Although this sounds like a career-ending moment for McBride, the listeners loved her authenticity and continued to listen to her for years to come.

McBride used her journalism background to tell unscripted stories on air. Her candidness was what drew people in, making them want to hear more of what she had to say. The radio show accumulated six to eight million listeners on a daily basis, making this the peak of her career. McBride had the opportunity to interview many well-known public figures, such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Omar Nelson Bradley, Pearl Buck, Bob Hope, and she was even referenced in an episode of "I Love Lucy" entitled, "The Million Dollar Idea."Another common segment on her radio shows was reading letters sent from her listeners.

McBride had the privilege of celebrating her tenth anniversary on air in Madison Square Garden in NYC with 18,000 people, both women and men, in attendance, with millions more listening at home. During her 20th anniversary, she decided to retire from network radio, but still continued to do broadcast and write books from her living room in the Catskills Mountains until she passed away in 1976.


Related Articles:
Mary Margaret McBride

Political Cartoons

In my opinion, I believe there are significant parallels between the press today and the press in the Partisan Press Era. After reading the Partisan Press article, I was inspired to create a political cartoon based on the bias in the news and how it effects Americans' integrity.

Image retrieved from my iPhone.

In my political cartoon, I drew Abraham Lincoln in the center because of his nickname, "Honest Abe." I thought incorporating him in this cartoon would help bring out the humor because of what he stands for and how passionate he was about honesty in politics. On each side of Lincoln, I drew two televisions, one with Fox News and the other with CNN, two of the country's leading news sources. Although these news channels are popular amongst Americans, they are also known for being incredibly biased. On the Fox News television, I drew a speech bubble from the anchor that says, "Trump is the best president!" because Fox is known for being more conservative. On the CNN television, I drew a speech bubble from the anchor that says, "Trump is the worst president ever!" because CNN is known for being more liberal and against Trump's decisions.

I decided to give such a biased statement on each news station to represent the partisan divide in our country. If Abraham Lincoln were to be alive today, I think he would be very disappointed at how eager Americans are to go against their opposing party because of how passionate they are about being "right." Although they might feel "right," that does not always mean their news sources are truthful and that they have looked at all of the facts. Having a huge partisan divide is an issue in the United States because it allows Americans to become more biased so that they only follow news that agrees with their opinion instead of following an unbiased news source that would allow them to make their own decisions.


Related Articles:
Partisan Press Article

Julian Assange: Journalist or Criminal?

Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, is widely recognized as a civilized whistleblower that takes no fault. However, some might argue that his work only generates hostility and that he should be locked up in jail for life.

Image retrieved from BBC News.

When Assange founded Wikileaks in 2006, the overall intention was to publish confidential documents and images about the government from anonymous sources. This would demonstrate his whistleblower activity, all while remaining under the radar. In April 2010, Assange released footage of US soldiers shooting 18 civilians from a helicopter in Iraq. This exposure made millions of headlines and forced many followers to believe that he was "evil" for exposing the American government and their military.

In my opinion, I fully understand why Americans did not approve of him exposing the US soldiers because it made their country look bad and they believed that he was "going against" America. However, since Assange is not an American, I don't believe that he was going against his own country by posting this footage. All he was doing was releasing the information that he had in his possession, something every single journalist does.

One of the main crimes that Assange was charged with was 17 charges related to the Espionage Act of 1917 under the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. The Espionage Act of 1917 prohibits the interference with military operations and prevents the support of United States enemies during wartime. Due to the illegal documents and military footage posted on Wikileaks, Assange was charged with this, which carries a maximum sentence of 170 years in prison. These charges were extremely controversial because other publications like The New York Times and The Washington Post also produced exposing information in the past and were not charged with anything.

It is hard for me to comprehend the treatment of Assange because it is all being handled by countries that he doesn't have citizenship for. Over the years, he has dealt with legal issues in Sweden, Ecuador,  and the United States, but his citizenship is in Australia. How does it make sense that the laws of all of these foreign countries apply to him if he is not from any of them? Aside from that, all of his work is not done in America either, making the situation much more confusing. I think I am having the hardest time understanding why Australia is letting this all happen. I know that if an American were locked up for ten years in foreign countries, the United States would do anything to get them back. Why is Australia letting this happen to him?

After doing more research on this topic, I noticed that journalists around the world are divided on their opinions about Assange. Some believe that he is a journalist just doing his job and others believe that he is a criminal for posting such obscene government information. In my opinion, I think Assange was doing what he has always been doing: whistleblowing. Exposing the government through his posts, informing the public on what is really happening, and digging deeper into the "why" behind government issues. This is something that every journalist is familiar with. Finding the issue, getting the facts, and telling people about it. It doesn't make a lot of sense as to why this journalist was so different from the rest.

As a journalist, one needs to expose the truth and nothing but the full truth. Assange did his duty and has already faced ten years in captivity. I am interested to see where the rest of this case goes and I hope the government makes the ethical decision.


Related Articles:
BBC News

U.S. Supreme Court

The Supreme Court is the most powerful judicial body on Earth, having nine justices: one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices. Every outcome in a Supreme Court case is based on the 200-year-old Constitution and is able to rule any case as unconstitutional or not with the power resting on public faith. The justices solve national problems and are deliberate about reaching their decisions in private.

Image retrieved from the Washington Post.

The Court only accepts about 100 of the 7,000 cases they receive a year. Most of the cases are submitted as a writ of certiorari, a file that is asking the Court permission to overlook the case. Each case is heard in the public, with lawyers on each side of the case given 30 minutes to make their arguments before the Court. Every justice can ask questions during the oral argument and arguing before nine justices is difficult because each one has their own perspectives on what is right. The lawyer has to find a way to present their ideas to appeal to nine different people, who most likely all have different opinions on most topics.

Once the argument is presented before the Court, the justices gather in a conference room to vote on the case. If the justices decide to take the case, one of the justices on the majority side has to write an opinion explaining the legal reasons for the decision. Other than the majority opinion, any justice can write a separate opinion, either dissenting or concurring with the result. All of the opinion drafts are sent to the nine justices and can be revised for up to months at a time. Eventually, the revised opinions are sent to the press to notify the public of the action that has taken place. 

Overall, the Supreme Court plays a very significant role in the judicial system today. The workings of the Court have impacted history and will remain essential for the justice system in the future.


Related Videos:
Supreme Court Part 1
Supreme Court Part 2

Top 5 News Sources

News is everywhere. We hear the news, we watch the news, we read the news, we spread the news, and it simply is taking over our lives. Personally, I tend to get a lot of my news through various online, television, and broadcasting sources. Listed below are my top five news sources that everyone should be informed on.

Image retrieved from Pinterest.

1. New York Times
The New York Times is an American newspaper that produces world, national, and local news. I like reading the New York Times because I am able to navigate the website very efficiently through their separate headings and pages, the articles provide a lot of information with photos and videos, and the writers make sure that it is up to date every single day. For example, if I wanted to know more detailed information on the Australian wildfires, I know that the New York Times would have the most recent information that is the best explained.

2. Twitter
As a stereotypical Gen Z, I tend to get a lot of my news from social media. Twitter is one of my favorite apps because of the humorous tweets, how easy it is to interact with friends, and how it produces up to date news within seconds. Although not everything on Twitter is the most factual information, I believe that I stay the most up to date from this app the most. Reading what I need to know in 280 characters or less on current events might sound lazy, but I believe that Twitter is one of the main reasons that Gen Z's and young millennials know what is going on in the world.

3. Fox News
Fox News is a conservative cable television news channel that keeps its viewers up to date on world news, especially with politics. Whenever I need to know what is going on in the political world I tend to go to Fox News because of its reputation and reliability. I know that I can trust Fox News with accurate information on the presidency, impeachment trial, voting, etc.

4. ABC News
One of the nation's most recognized broadcast networks is ABC News, the American Broadcasting Company. Some of my favorite shows to watch on ABC Network are Good Morning America and ABC World News Tonight with David Muir. I like Good Morning America because the hosts make the current events interesting and it is a great way to start off my day being informed on what is going on. I like ABC World News Tonight with David Muir because it airs in the evening on the weekends and David Muir does a great job at explaining the more serious aspects of today's current events.

5. Radio
One of the easiest ways to stay up to date on the news while on the go is listening to the radio. Although I do not use the radio every time I get in the car, I do enjoy listening to more local news when I do listen to it. Sometimes I tend to pay more attention to more national and world news and forget to pay attention to what is going on right outside my front door. Listening to the radio is very beneficial because I can learn more about what is going on around me in my current location.