I get my news from a variety of different platforms, but it has been a while since I actively consumed news. I have been avoiding it, not because I’m lazy, but because I am tired of reading the same old same.
However, it is time for that to change. Avoiding the problems of the world or the repetitiveness of the news does not mean that it will go away. It’s time for me to be an actual journalist, an active journalist, a journalist with a healthy news diet.
Now that I’ve made this decision. I would say, I tend to consume my news from two main sources, either NPR or The New York Times. I also get my local news from the school paper, the Branding Iron.
I have placed my trust in NPR and The New York Times because they have been empirically objective when it comes to reporting on important stories. I also trust the Branding Iron because I worked there for 3 years and trust the way the paper is run and who runs the paper.
However, in recent times it has been hard for me to trust The New York Times, only because they too have given into this idea that objectivity isn’t a necessity when it comes to reporting on important issues. I do think that they too came to this realization. I believe that they have decided that they need to focus on getting back to their roots in order to maintain their good reputation.
Regardless of how things have played out, I still have much respect for both of these news sources, I just don’t blindly follow them.
I read the stories they report on and then compare them with other news sources to gain a better understanding of what slant they could have. I also take everything that I read with them with a grain of salt.
I have found that discussing the news with my friends can be fun. Because, if they have different viewpoints than me then it is open to debate and I can better understand the opposing side, but if it’s the same then I get to reaffirm my beliefs and discuss something with like-minded folk.
I also find talking with my family can get interesting because I am definitely of the same mindset as them, but I still enjoy challenging their very traditional beliefs in an effort to help them understand a different perspective. I could care less about changing their mind on issues, because I highly doubt I have that power, however, I do believe I have the power to show them a different side of things. That’s my favorite thing about discussions, is being an advocate for something that I don’t necessarily believe, only so we can have a debate and others can see the side they are, for whatever reason, unable to.
Now, when it comes to other forms of journalism, like entertainment journalism, I would say my diet is relatively healthy and has a lot of variety. I don’t usually consume entertainment journalism from the same sources, only because I look at it off-handedly when I am scrolling through Facebook. I would say that these sources are informative but not as much as a necessity as actual news because more than likely it will not affect my everyday life.
There are some instances where it can be informative in understanding what controversies could be plaguing a show, and whether that would be a show to support if it does have certain negative connotations about it. I don’t want to blindly follow a show, especially since I know the power TV and movies have over me and my interactions.
Overall, I think my news diet is a pretty healthy one. I do believe that just as a balanced diet helps one to grow strong and healthy, a balanced news diet would help one to grow strong in terms of being a better-informed, more conscious-of-their-surroundings person. I am definitely guilty of not consuming my share of news, but it is time for that to change.
So let’s climb the stairway of this pyramid to being healthy together. Let’s not allow the current state of our news, state of our country or state of our world affect the way we contribute to each of these things. Lets be informed and healthy, news healthy.
Seth Sigward Haack 