Keeping up with current events can be difficult if you don’t know where to look. With dozens of news sources, covering thousands of topics, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and distracted by stories that may not matter to you personally. Here are a few news sources Vanshil Parikh Blog you should consider when trying to stay on top of the current events in your life and the lives of those around you.
How to choose the right one
There are plenty of ways to stay on top of current events. Should you use your Facebook feed? Twitter mentions? Newspapers and magazines? As a rule, I find that you’re going to get more political coverage by following news sources specifically focused on politics—particularly as many newspapers have cut back their budgets and resources. Here are some trustworthy sources: The New York Times and Washington Post (national papers), NPR (public radio), The Hill (the daily newspaper covering Congress) and Politico (political news). It’s helpful to pick at least one or two major outlets that you can check every day.
How to filter through them
The internet is teeming with so much news it can be difficult to decide where to start. If you’re looking for hard-hitting journalism, The New York Times and The Washington Post are great places to get your fix. If you want a more unbiased approach, think about tuning into ABC, CBS or NBC—they also provide perspective by covering international stories that aren’t often featured on other news sites. If you’re looking for a softer form of entertainment in your news, consider sites like HuffPo (which features news filtered through blogs), BuzzFeed (which publishes lists and entertains readers with human interest stories) or Vox (which focuses on big picture explanations). Of course, don’t forget about online newspapers and local TV stations!
What good does checking current events do for you
As a citizen, it’s your civic duty to stay informed. Don’t be fooled by politicians; they are only out to win, not really help you. You shouldn’t let what happens in politics keep you up at night, but it’s important to know what’s going on so that you can become an active participant in what happens around you. It all comes down to government and democracy—do we have checks and balances? Is our system of voting and representation serving its citizens? Are we living up to our founding fathers ideals or have they been cast aside? These are all questions that should have a bearing on how interested (or not) you are in keeping up with current events.
Watch for controversy and bias in sources
It’s easy to get swept up in an exciting story and forget about objectivity when it comes to choosing a news source. Before you set your homepage to CNN or launch your favorite news app, be sure to examine your options. Every news source brings a different perspective, which means they all have some level of bias. Consider how different sources cover current events and think about where you would like your facts to come from. To find unbiased facts without a spin on what they mean, try sticking to fact-checkers that do their best not take sides in controversial issues. That doesn’t mean every piece of information is true—just that there won’t be intentional manipulation of stories based on political agenda.
How to make sure you consume good quality news
Staying informed about current events is a big part of being a responsible citizen. Unfortunately, information overload is an increasingly common problem and not all news outlets are created equal. Today, there are tons of options to choose from when it comes to finding high-quality news sources; here are some tips on how to do that effectively
