The News
- id: 1746027383
- Date: Aug. 30, 2025, 12:26 p.m.
- Author: Donald F. Elger
Goals
- Describe “the news”.
- Skillfully and easily do four things:
- Stay current with the news
- Get accurate news.
- Form views that are low in bias.
- Manage feelings and emotions, especially unpleasant ones like fear, anger, frustration, and so on.
What?
News is timely information about current events, trends, issues, and people that is relevant to the public.
Analysis (Key Points)
- Relevant to the public.
- Covers many topics: sports, politics, local news, health, world
affairs, events, crime, and more.
- Timely—focused on what is happening now or very recently.
in brief (relevant, timely, many topics)
Sources of News
- Traditional media: CBS, NYT, Fox, WSJ, and so on.
- Social media: Facebook, Twitter
- Conversations: People chatting
- Citizen journalism
- News agencies: AP, Reuters
- Aggregators: Google News, Apple News, Microsoft Start (formerly MSN News), Yahoo News, and so on.
- Press releases by companies and non-profits
- Government agencies
Rationale (Why Care about News)
Summary: News currency equips you to take advantage of opportunities and respond effectively to threats.
- Civic Duty:
- Informed voting and participation in democracy.
- Holding power accountable.
- Personal Safety:
- Awareness of hazards: weather (hurricanes, etc.), food safety, and disease outbreaks.
- Understanding local safety concerns.
- Health Awareness:
- Disease outbreaks and health advisories.
- Medical advancements and health trends.
- Best diet and exercise.
- Economic Awareness:
- Financial decisions and economic trends.
- Business awareness.
- Global Understanding:
- World events and cultural awareness.
- Interconnectedness of the world.
- Other
- Know about upcoming events
- Learn
Skillful News (How To)
- Figure out what new categories matter to you.
- Universal Interest: topics every should stay current on:
- Particular Interest:
- Identify reliables news sources.
- Skim multiple of these sources. Strive for multiple source viewpoints.
- Triangulate which means to check them against each other.