The News

Goals: Describe the news.

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.

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

Accurate News (How to Get)

1. Identify reliables sources of the news.
2. Skim multiple of these sources. Strive for multiple source viewpoints.
3. Triangulate which means to check them against each other.