Start Spreading the News...

 ...I'm leaving today! I want to be a part of it! New York, NEW YORK!

Just like the classic theme song by Frank Sinatra says... yes! Everyone does want to be a part of it! Although Sinatra is talking about wanting to live in New York, this saying still holds true for the significance of the news in today's world. Thanks to new social movements, political issues, and global/economic crises among others, the news has become a necessary tool for people all over the world - especially in the United States of America. Everyone wants to 'be a part of it' by having the ability to watch the news and receive real-time updates, learn from live interviews or coverage, and understand the exact statistics needed to feel safe from 'fake news' and to be 'in the know'. When I want to 'be a part of it', I look to the news from CNN, NBC 4 Washington, The BayNet, Star 98.3 Radio, and The New York Times.

One of the major networks I look to for the most up-to-date information is CNN. I occasionally watch the news broadcasts, but I tend to read its' online articles most often. CNN is always up-to-date with recent news on social movements or global issues, but I find it most appealing when it focuses on political news, such as the 2020 Presidential Election. After a presidential debate or a rumor about President Trump was released, I went straight to CNN. More often than not, it was because this network was the first link to pop up when I searched the news in Google, however, I did always compare the reports of CNN to other networks, such as The New York Times or NBC 4 Washington to distinguish possible 'fake news' claims. I love the organization of the CNN website because I know exactly what I'm going to read about when I click on specific tabs, such as CNN Covid-19, CNN Entertainment, or CNN Politics with the Fact Check section - an important section to read due to rampant 'fake news' rumors.

NBC 4 Washington has to be one of my favorite news channels. As a Southern Maryland native, I grew up watching this network every morning before school. In fact, watching NBC 4 Washington inspired me to consider a job in the communications field. Although I'm not planning on becoming a journalist, being up-to-date with the news and latest trends is a very important factor in the public relations profession as well. As I compare NBC 4 Washington to CNN or The New York Times, I believe all 3 of these networks contain accurate information because they tend to report the news in similar rhetorics with the same information and evidence. Not only is this network a great source for political news since it is filmed in the heart of D.C., but it is one of the most important sources for local information in the DMV - D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Doug Kammerer, the best chief meteorologist in my opinion, analyzes the weather radar accurately, while Aaron Gilchrist and Eun Yang report local fortunes and tragedies with appealing ethos rhetoric. I've been lucky enough to be presented on this news channel for special reports about 2 departments, acapella and theatre, in the arts program at my high school. 

The BayNet is the best online news source for the tri-county area of Southern Maryland. It covers all local news for Charles, St. Mary's, and Calvert counties - from local entertainment, to new restaurants or markets, to local politics and elections. Because these counties are so similar, geographically and culturally, and have lots of 'hometown legacy families', including mine, not a day goes by where there isn't an abundance of news due to constant happenings. I go to The BayNet whenever I hear of something happening at home, such as car accidents, local deaths, or the election of my hometown's mayor. I also go to The BayNet to look at reviews for plays, schools, restaurants, or events in my hometown - especially if I'm trying to describe those things to people I've met here in High Point. I love reading these articles because I don't feel like I'm as far away from home as I am. I can stay up-to-date on my hometown without my parents having to let me know. The BayNet also holds a special place in my heart because it's known for its reviews of community theatre performances and I've been named in some of those reviews on a number of occasions!

Similar to The BayNet, Star 98.3 reports all local news for Charles, St. Mary's, and Calvert counties of Southern Maryland, but instead of just an online website, Star 98.3 has an online website and a popular radio station. I can remember waiting for the school bus in the morning with my mom while we listened to the head co-hosts, T-Bone and Heather, express their opinions on national political news, or joyfully advertising local shops or events going on in our area. Over Christmas break, we played Star 98.3 on our Alexa Echo Dot while baking cookies or cleaning the house, and it was great to reminisce about those mornings. The most fascinating thing that makes this radio station stand out is their variety of opinions. T-Bone and Heather are a married couple, but one of them is a conservative and another is a liberal; so, as I listened to their debates, I was able to gain knowledge on both sides of the spectrum and base my opinions on the facts and ideas I learned from there. That separation is very different from a news channel or network that only attracts one group of people because of their one-sided political news. I also love the Star 98.3 website because it has little fun facts, trivia questions, links to local companies, and even lets the reader know who is hosting the radio at that time. 

And finally, I also turn toward The New York Times for information. Although I don't look at it as often as the other news sources I previously mentioned, I usually read The New York Times when completing research, especially academic or business research, because I believe it has the most accurate information and is the easiest to explore when looking for news from different years. Similar to CNN, The New York Times also has incredible organization that I appreciate, with lots of subcategories within general categories. I also find it very interesting that The New York Times has options to read the news in different languages or from different points of view. I tend to look for reviews of books, events, places, and groups on the website as well, because when I think of The New York Times, I think of The New York Times Best-Sellers Lists. 

Sources

https://www.cnn.com

https://www.nbcwashington.com/

https://star983.com/

https://www.thebaynet.com/

https://www.nytimes.com/