News providers such as CNN, BBC, and Fox have millions of viewers and readers across the world. The news is an important part of many people’s lives as it helps them stay informed about what’s going on in their world.
Where people get their news from has been changing rapidly over the last decade, in particular. A study done by the Pew Research Center found that 58% of people prefer to get their news from digital devices, 32% from television, 6% from the radio, and only 4% from print publications.
Social media has become an important part of news consumption, with its easy access and ability to sway opinions. Some consider social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok as being reliable alternatives to getting news from more traditional media, like CBS and NBC News. However, Yuyu Huang of The John Hopkins News-Letter says that news on social media platforms is “not really” reliable. True, social media may provide an easier way to consume news than by reading full articles or doing your own research, but it is also easier to become misinformed.
My experience with seeing news on social media is that it is usually provided in short statements, and often purposely made to appear more dramatic to gain more attraction (think “clickbait”). This tactic is used in all forms of media, but in the case of news, this clickbait-style news can be especially malicious, making it easy for people to believe things which, in fact, have little basis in reality.
A good example of this is a tip given on the U.S. Army’s website that states, “According to one study, 59% of articles are shared by people who haven’t even read the article–that is, their ‘share’ was based solely on the headline of the article.”
So it is a good idea to get your news from multiple sources. News organizations nowadays often tend to be biased in one direction or another, making it hard to get objective information or multiple perspectives. To prevent the consumption of misinformation, you should always check multiple sources and find where information was sourced from. Then you will be able to piece together a good idea of what is happening and base your opinion off of that.
Doing so can lead to a less biased consumption of information, giving you more knowledge about what is really happening, both in your personal life and around the world. When it comes to keeping up with the news, reliability and open-mindedness should always be your goal.
