MY BIG FIVE

 MY TOP 5 NEWS & INFORMATION SOURCES

The internet is an interesting place...to say the least. Within just seconds of waking up, I can have hundreds of stories and news articles all vying for my attention. Who has the catchiest titles, who has the most amount of prime sources, who put out the news first; all factors in which people gage which news sources they chose to read each day. The rise of social media and "fake news" has made a valiant attempt to shake up my list of trusted news sources in recent years. News is so easily misconstrued these days, with the wonderful help of mass media forms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; all in which are applications that allow people to speak freely, not necessarily needing a source. However for me, I have had a sense of solidarity in this topic, as my "big five" have been unwavering and consistent as my years of lost adolescence and gained maturity pass by.

Weeding my way through all the untrustworthy news sources, The New York Times is definitely a needle in this news haystack; and is one of my go-to's when it comes to trustworthy news. This one hundred seventy year old print and digital publication company produces well-worded articles truthfully encapsulating current events in a typically unbiased fashion, despite being slightly left leaning. One of my favorite aspects of The New York Times is their ability to put even the most complicated stories into terms in which can be understood by the masses. Another more technological aspect of their publications I enjoy is their classifications on their website. They have sections allocated for business, politics, style, travel, and many more. This further dissected specification is extremely helpful for finding what it is I want to read, faster. They even have a section allocated for opinion pieces, to demonstrate which articles are formulated opinions and which are meant to represent factual encounters and news. I try my best not to get involved in political drama, and The New York Times does a great job with delivering political news in a factual manner, while complimenting it with the perfect dose of pop culture. 

Transitioning more towards personal preference when it comes to news, my second choice in news sources is without a doubt Rolling Stone. Although typically music/arts driven, Rolling Stone does have a nonmusical journalism section allocated for the informing of current global news, typically in a left winged bias. However due to my strong passion for writing and music, I typically check up on Rolling Stone for my pop culture and music needs. One of my favorite writers for Rolling Stone is Rob Sheffield, a long time contributing editor to the platform. His writing style and genuine aura speaks on behalf of the whole company, and makes me feel like I'm right in the room experiencing these things he reports on. For me, the genuine tone and personable writing that takes place throughout every interview, article, and review by each writer and editor is what makes Rolling Stone the best source of pop culture news. The speed at which they report on topics is also something worth admiring. Though not the first to publicize an article, they have the perfect recipe for producing an article quickly while waiting just long enough to collect and decipher between falsified exaggerations and real accounts to report. 

Moving forward, my third news source I trustfully use on occasion is Associated Press. This news publication seems to be the most centrally bias, doing the best job out of my five with reporting facts only, regardless of how that may be perceived from a political standpoint. Thus, allowing for the formation of your own opinions upon receiving the information they report. This consequently then allows you to feel like you're in control of your beliefs and opinions, not being force-fed information and being told how to feel. I use Associated Press more so for crime related news, such as the progression of murder investigations and court trials. A perfect example of this was the coverage done on the Gabby Petito case, and the search for Brian Laundrie. Despite seeing many "reports" by various self-proclaimed investigators and twitter users, I always waited on the Associated Press to report on the case, especially during the discovery and autopsies of both Gabby and Brian's bodies. Their attentiveness to sensitivity on topics and news developments is both admirable and the reason I look to them first when initially hearing shocking news. 

To maintain balance in my big five, my fourth trustworthy news source is The Wall Street Journal. Known for delivering more right winged, business and financial related news, The WSJ's reach spans from opinion pieces and technology advancements, to books and arts columns. For my financial needs, I always turn to The Wall Street Journal. Because I am not well rehearsed in the world of economics, or the economic whereabouts of our country, I use this publication to attempt to be more in tune with our economy and learn how monetary aspects have large impacts on decisions made in our country. I've found that WSJ is the only news factual publication that can explain economics in a way that I can easily understand. For this, and many other reasons, The Wall Street Journal is one of my favorite news sources to use for learning more about the business world around me. 

Last but certainly not least, rounding out my top five news sources, we have BBC World News. BBC World News has the perfect mixture of every type of news from all over the world. As I've mentioned in my "About Me" tab, I have a growing passion for traveling and learning about different cultures. BBC World News allows me to read up about any country in the world, and see just how drastically different life can be from continent to continent. In recent years, I have also used BBCWN for seeing the different ways in which differing country's governments are handling the COVID 19 pandemic, and relating it back to our own. BBCWN also assists in informing about the global relations between countries, and keeps me informed on where we stand on the sphere of social and political prowesses. If you're looking to explore other nations and their news through the comfort of your home, BBC World News is the perfect fit! This is the only news source I frequent where I feel they generate a conversational aspect with the reader upon giving out information and encouraging global discussion.