As a college student, I appreciate simplicity and accessibility. Though I am usually on the go, I make an effort to understand what is occurring in the world around me. Specific platforms make this easier for me. My most common sources to get news include CNN, social media, and Apple News.
Growing up, I received my news through whatever my mom would watch, such as Fox 11 News and KFI AM 640 (particularly the controversial John and Ken Show). As I’ve formulated my own beliefs, though still influenced by my mother’s, I’ve found sources that better fit my interests and inquiries to keep myself informed. In high school, in my AP Government class, we would begin each class by watching CNN 10, a digital news show ideal for explanation seekers on the go or in the classroom. It is a fun, engaging way to receive the latest news - all in ten minutes! With a classroom full of students with short attention spans, CNN 10 was a great way to consume the news. After high school, I continued intaking news via CNN. In my opinion, CNN is trustworthy and accurate. I can count on CNN for well-developed breaking news stories. A bonus is that CNN is not as wordy as other news sources, and I like their use of visuals.
Social media is another helpful tool for intaking news. I particularly like Twitter and the alerts it sends me about trending topics in the news. At the top of the news page on Twitter will be the most newsworthy headline. It is also helpful that it breaks the news into categories and what is trending in each category. Twitter is an interesting mechanism for obtaining news because users can see what other people think of the topic at hand via live-tweeting. This allows me to digest various perspectives on a topic and learn new things that I had not yet considered. Furthermore, Instagram is an easily accessible way to obtain news simply by following your favorite news outlets. Instagram has driven major news outlets to utilize easily digestible information about current events. Though users may not get the full story simply from viewing an Instagram post, it is a way for people to at least have a surface-level idea of what is happening. What’s more, receiving news through social media is convenient for people. They can see what’s going on as part of their daily routine of scrolling through their preferred social media platforms.
Another way that I get news of current events is through Apple News. I like Apple News because it sends me the top headlines of the day via a notification. Apple News is personalized and curated for the user’s interests, while still delivering the important news of the day. I enjoy the “Audio Briefing” feature where users can listen to the day’s news. With Apple News, I can get a good balance in points of view by seeing the day’s trending stories, including various news outlets’ articles. It is also helpful that the layout is clean and easily comprehensible.
Overall, I trust all of these news sources, which is how I am able to rely on them consistently. These sources are convenient, transparent, and well-presented, especially for a college student like myself.
Kyla Moore, a student in Jon Pfeiffer’s media law class at Pepperdine University, wrote the above essay in response to the following question: "What sources do you use to get news of current events? Why?" The class covers copyright and social media. Kyla is a Public Relations and Hispanic Studies major.
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