The idea of what qualifies as news sources has changed significantly over the past few years. There has been a huge shift to online news sources as the digital age has grown and spread across generations. In my own life, I have switched from seeing my grandparents reading the newspaper, to my parents watching the news on tv, to now me relying solely on the digital versions of news through social media, google searches, online articles, and so on.
Instagram
I would say that Instagram is one of my main sources of news. It is accessible right on my phone’s home-screen and I often find myself checking it multiple times a day. I use Instagram as a way of connecting with people and keeping up to date on a range of different types of news. Through Instagram posts and even stories I find new information about friends, family, pop culture, and even current events. I personally recommend Instagram because it's a very simplistic way of staying up to date. It often won’t have very dense or fact-heavy news articles, but rather short and eye-catching posts, stories, or captions that bring novel news stories to my attention. I then often use one of my other sources to find out more information and dig deeper on a topic. Additionally, one feature that I love about Instagram is the comment sections on posts. I always find myself scrolling through comment sections and more often than not, am found reading a differing opinion that makes me stop and think about a fresh perspective. This type of open dialogue is super important and such a great way to hear from all different voices and opinions!
Gale 
Gale is an online database of academic articles and readings that relate to numerous topics. I typically use this source for academic purposes, as these sources are often very reliable and filled with statistics and facts. The database is also very large, but has tools such as a search bar, filter tool, and a sorting tool, to make finding articles that relate specifically to what you need easy! As a student at High Point University, there is also free access to the Gale databases through the library website which allows you to view full articles as well as create full citations for each source. These are some tools that I absolutely love! However, my favorite part of Gale is that the articles that are on the database are academically reliable. They are full of statistics, information, studies, and educational testimonies, which is extremely vital for academic assignments.
Word of Mouth
Word of Mouth is undoubtedly my most heavily relied on source. I often turn to friends, family, teachers, peers, and so on for news. Although word of mouth is not always reliable, especially as facts and statements are easily misconstrued the longer a chain of communication continues, it is such a significant way of receiving information. This circulation of information can happen by having simple conversations or even by sitting in a classroom. For instance, prior to our last class, I had not fully understood the bill that is currently being debated, that would ban TikTok. However, once we discussed it in class and connected it with what we had been learning about the 1st Amendment, I suddenly had a new understanding. This then allowed me to educate my own friends when we began discussing it later on, therefore continuing the chain of word of mouth news.
Fox News 
Fox News is a source that I visit a little less often, but nevertheless find very helpful. I am often sent articles from Fox News from family members and friends, and have found that although politically biased they have a lot of great information and interviews. Moreover, I actually enjoy the bias and getting to hear a more conservative point of view on issues and current events. I find that I often receive a more left leaning point of view from many friends and peers and therefore by reading Fox News, I am presented with the opposing side. This then allows me to compare and find my own stance on issues, once I feel that I have been properly informed on all sides of an issue.
TikTok 
TikTok is another form of social media that I unfortunately use daily. I often use this source to find news about celebrities, pop culture, and sometimes current events or issues. This is a very wide-scale platform with users from all over the world. Therefore, it is a great place to find information on world issues and to hear from people who are living in countries around the world, in potentially different situations than one’s self. There are tons of different creators, points of views, and videos that all will discuss the same situation or idea. This often creates communities within TikTok of people who share similar interests or opinions, which is another reason why I like it so much. I personally tend to use TikTok for information and as a news source because of how accessible it is. The videos are anywhere from a few seconds to 3 minutes, so they are an easy way to get quick information while easily holding the attention of users. This has positives and negatives, as everything that I absorb from TikTok, I know to take with a grain of salt as it doesn’t always represent all the information.
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