In this day and age, you can gain access to a lot of information from a wide variety of sources. We are bombarded by new stories from just about every direction, so it’s just as easy to find out what is going on with the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing as it is to find out the daily special at your local greasy spoon diner. In fact, it’s arguably easier to learn the former than it is the latter.
Keeping in touch with popular culture, world affairs, and the latest technological developments is easier than ever and you’ve got a lot of options. With that in mind, which news source is the best?
The Evening News
This is where a lot of people turn to stay in tune with the rest of the world. The good thing about the 6 o’clock news is that you are exposed to a brief overview of the entire world. They’ll cover the top stories, entertainment, weather, sports, and more. Unfortunately, you have no control over which stories are covered and none of the stories are ever covered in-depth. You get an introduction and then they move on.
Late Night Talk Shows
You may find that the regular evening news is a bit of a snooze fest, so it’s much more entertaining to hear about some news through late night talk shows. It’s just more interesting to hear guys like Conan O’Brien and Jon Stewart mock the daily happenings. This is especially true of political coverage.
Newspaper (Dead Tree Edition)
There’s just something to be said about a physical newspaper. Although I spend the vast majority of my time online, I’m still inclined to pick up a free newspaper on a (near) daily basis. Like the evening news, the (dead tree) newspaper provides a comprehensive overview of what’s going on in the world. Unlike television, however, you can skip stories that don’t interest you and read more into stories that do.
Professional and Personal Blogs
The Internet being what it is, everyone has a voice these days. No longer are you restricted to official news sources for your information and that’s partly why we have become virtually addicted to the Internet. I’m much more inclined to hear about video game news from Kotaku and car stories from Autoblog, rather than having to wait for a monthly magazine. That’s because these professional blogs are truly on the cutting edge, getting stories out well before the newspapers, magazines, and TV programs. Want to know about cell phones and mobile tech? Check out Mobile Magazine.
Google News and Online Newspapers
Continuing with the online trend, you can gain access to virtual newspapers from all around the world all from the comfort of your home computer. Google News is particularly powerful, because it collects the top stories from all around the globe, seeing which news items are being picked up by the most news outlets. Like personal and professional blogs, the news can be very timely as well.
Radio Shows
While I do not need to put up with a daily commute, those who do may be inclined to get their news through radio shows like those hosted by Buzz Bishop. In addition to the tunes that these deejays pump out, they also inform you of cool contest, local happenings, and top stories too. There are also radio stations that are 100% dedicated to news.
The Water Cooler (Virtual Too!)
Make use of your friends and colleagues! Living in cubicle land, you can gather at the water cooler and discuss just about anything that is on your mind, whether it be Sex in the City or Barack Obama. If you work from home, you can also make use of this dynamic through “virtual” water coolers like Twitter. Following the right people, you can stay up to the minute on all the big news stories.
So, where do you get your news? A combination of all of these?
TV is for entertainment. For the most part, I don’t watch the news at all on TV, unless something has managed to catch my interest. And, even then, many times I am disappointed. Many times the “news” stories I see on TV are things I’ve read on the Internet, sometimes weeks previously. Of course, headlines news is mostly up to date, except that I’ve probably already read or seen it online earlier in the day.
So, when I sit in front of the TV, it’s to be entertained. Or, I may want to watch something on the various commercial educations channels. But, the TV news isn’t something I regularly tune into anymore. I’ve grown tired of out-dated stories, “important alerts” that are old news, and the ever-so-tiring “right after this” which is hardly ever right after that, but after that and that and the next thing.
I read a lot of news in my RSS reader. Much easier than visiting the website, usually.
Don’t forget that Yahoo has news too!
I get my news on the tv news break and internet portal also.
I never heard Twitter compared that way and I love the analogy. makes me want to twitter more! I get most y news from yahoo! front page when I check my mail. Also Dave Letterman.
Beware of Twitter addiction! lol
I get them from TV and Internet.
anywhere but msm “mainstreammedia” they’re bought and paid for