MODULE 3

How to Stay Informed About

Current Events?
 1. Tune into a few traditional news sources.
With the rise of the Internet, opinion-oriented and
partisan news is more popular than in decades past,
leading many media consumers to neglect traditional
outlets of objective journalism. While opinion-oriented
news sources are usually entertaining, they may slant
the stories in ways which are not obviously apparent.
Therefore, it’s important to find a few trusted traditional
news sources to watch or read regularly.
2. Listen to news podcasts.
There are many news podcasts that summarize each
day’s events in 15-30 minute segments. If you’re short on
time and want the highlights, subscribe to a news
podcast so you can stay well-informed without spending
time searching for updated current events.
3. Subscribe to Google Alerts.
A Google Alert is a customized notification service
allowing you to set an alert with Google for any topic.
When that topic is mentioned on the web, you’ll receive a
notification from Google letting you know. Google allows
up to 1,000 topics per email address, so you can set
alerts for a wide range of subjects.
4. Use a news aggregator.
News aggregators pull stories about similar subjects from different
news sources and group them together in an email list or feed for your
consumption. News aggregators are great tools ways to stay abreast of
news and current events because they sample from a wide variety of
sources and put all of the stories in one place, saving you the hassle.
5. Find some specialized news sources to suit
your needs.
Partisan, opinion-based, and topical news sources all have their place
on a well-informed citizen’s reading list. While one shouldn’t rely on
them exclusively, they play an important part in learning how to
distinguish false equivalencies, an unintentional pitfall of objectivity.
6. Use political websites and apps to get the
latest political news.
Although almost all news sources tackle political events to an extent,
sources that cover politics and nothing else are among the best for
detail and analysis.
7. Subscribe to the local paper.
Local papers are the most trusted news source for news about local
crime, social events, schools, and local government. They also cover a
much broader topical area than other local news sources.
8. Use the radio for traffic reports and news
coverage.
FM radio is usually the best source of information on local traffic
conditions. Radio stations get news of accidents, collisions, and road
closures from police scanners, so their information is up to date. Public
radio is also great for morning news reports, talk shows, investigative
reporting, and specialty news programming.
9. Pay attention to social media for word of
mouth tips about local events.
“Liking” your local media outlets and governmental agencies on
Facebook, and following media personalities on Twitter, can help you
find out about breaking news items in your area. By maintaining a wide
circle of civically and socially active friends on social media sites, you
can find out about local events through word of mouth.
References
http://www.journalism.org/2011/09/23/role-newspapers/
http://www.journalism.org/2011/09/26/local-news/
http://www.journalism.org/2011/09/26/local-news/
http://www.journalism.org/2011/09/26/local-news/
https://tacomacc.libguides.com/c.php?g=599051&p=4147190
http://www.people-press.org/2007/04/15/public-knowledge-of-
current-affairs-little-changed-by-news-and-information-revolutions/