Top 5 Sources of Information

 Apple News+

For me, this is the easiest accessible news source, and I'm sure many others because it can be delivered from through the source of a personal phone. It is beneficial as one can receive notifications on things of interest through a subscription-based service. One of the options that Apple News+ gives is that when you sign up to receive the news, you can choose topics on things such as Sports, Politics, World News, and other content. There is also an option to choose full issue content from hundreds of magazines and national and international newspapers available to read online or off. Apple News+ also offers subscribers the option of listening to narrated versions of various news articles under an audio tab released in 2020. Apple Inc released Apple News+ in 2015, which is relatively new and reaches millions of subscribers worldwide.

Instagram

I find the most varied sources of news available through Instagram. What is so unique about this option is that it allows you to personalize your feed by offering “follower options.”  There are colorful, eye-catching photos and videos, some with live sound and entertaining music. Instagram allows the viewer to scroll through various posts with the touch of one’s phone screen or computer mouse. The author of the posted news has the option to leave a brief statement of what is being posted or go into much detail and explanation.  It is as if you are reading and enjoying hundreds of magazines but without the bulk of carrying them around. There are thousands of accounts covering news, art, music, sports, politics, gardening, food, animals, medicine, computers, etc. You name it, Instagram covers it.

TikTok

TikTok is considered one of the most popular sources of entertainment and some news. With over 2 billion downloads worldwide, a host can post user-submitted videos ranging from 15 seconds to as long as 10 minutes. Literally, one can post about any topic known to man. I enjoy watching Tiktok but often find myself in a “Tiktok trance.” It is very easy to lose oneself by getting “sucked into” the entertainment of mindless videos. Frankly, it can be a massive waste of time if one isn’t careful. One using the TikTok option needs to be mindful of the fact that this news source is easily filtered, but it can also give you some information that fits your interests with an algorithm based on your likes and dislikes. I don’t usually see posts made by news stations, but rather podcasters talking about them. Typically they’re about movies or celebrities, but I do see information related to news in foreign countries.

Word of Mouth

Perhaps my most significant source of news, whether it be from family, friends, or colleagues, is word of mouth (WOM). I like this way of receiving information because I can converse with my source and learn more from it. The beauty of WOM is that it is an organic conversation that is based on a happening, an idea, or an event. The most important thing about WOM is that I can trust my resource. Since we are overwhelmed with constant advertising daily, WOM is usually from a reliable source and eliminates skepticism.  This information source mostly comes from my parents, and it doesn’t just have to be about the news but things going on in my family’s community and their jobs.

Fox News

Seemingly Fox News presents itself as an ideological network. I rarely watch cable news, but when I do, it is with my family. Since I was raised in a conservative home, my parents chose to watch Fox News as it seemingly represents itself with strong political opinions.  There are benefits to obtaining information from Fox news; there is a smaller chance of stories, but actual news with factual information.  You can view events live and get the most knowledge of what happened. For example, when President Trump’s Mar-a-Largo estate was being raided. If I were to need a news station for research, I would choose Fox News as the most trusted news source available.