There are various different sources of receiving news, such as TV news channels, newspapers/ online articles, radio stations, social networking websites, etc. The benefit of receiving information through TV news channels is that there are many visuals displayed on the screen as the news anchor tells what had occured. The visuals and videos allow the viewers watching the channel to get a better understanding of what exactly happened. However, the downside of receiving information through news channels on TV is that there is a certain time limit in which the program must follow. This means that TV news channels are restricted to what news events they will show within the time period. Moreover, newspapers are a good way of finding out information because they have several articles that explain what happened in detail. Specific newspapers have local, national, and international news all in one. For example, I often read the Hamilton Spectator and it is organized into sections; local, in Canada, and around the world. I personally think this is an easier way for people to stay updated with what is happening all around the world because by just reading through the entire newspaper, you'll know the details of majority of the events that have occured. The only disadvantage of newspapers is that they aren't as quick and as up to date as other major sources such as the internet or TV news channels. The newspapers are printed at the end of each day, which means some events that occured afterwards will not be featured in the paper until the next day.
As I mentioned before, social networking websites are a source of receiving news as well. For example, on Twitter there is a list of "Trending Topics", which displays the top 10 most frequently used words or phrases by Twitter users. Occasionally, there are some important topics that trend, such as "#GaddafiDead". I remember seeing "#GaddafiDead" on the list and when I clicked on it, I saw a tweet from the CNN Twitter account on October 20,2011 confirming that Gaddafi had been killed. I then searched on Google for further information on his death. If I hadn't logged onto Twitter or seen the trending topic, I probably wouldn't be aware of the historical event of a Libyan dictator found dead.
When we receive news from one specific source that we usually rely on, we instantly believe that it is true. It is important to question the news that we receive to be certain that it is accurate. I personally don't usually take the time to analyze news sources to see if they're being bias. Most of the time, if the news sounds pretty accurate to me, I'll believe that it is true. If i'm really curious as to knowing the details of a particular event, I will do a little research online to find an answer that sounds somewhat accurate to me. We have numerous different ways of receiving news and we need to take advantage of what we have. I believe we should all use the sources we have today very wisely to be aware of what is occurring around us, so we can help everyone worldwide.
I've tried Twitter, but haven't really found a way to make it work for me yet. I think I am too long-winded for it (140 characters is SO limiting). I have been surprised in going through the blogs on communication to find out how many students use Twitter... I wouldn't have thought it was as many as it seems to be.
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