A couple weeks ago I asked, “How Do You Get Your News & Have You Also Failed At The Daily Newspaper Reading Game?” I posted a link to a poll to see how y’all get your daily news (clink link HERE). Like my middle school students who inspired me to move my daily prompts to my blog, I got zero responses. Interesting (and a little bit sad). Most writers would probably look at that result and conclude, well, no one is obviously interested in that topic and quietly move on. Ha! I don’t have enough common sense to do something like that. Also, I see how much information you guys share with each other and how often you respond to each other (mostly on FB), so I know you’re paying attention and y’all are staying “informed.” The question is how do I get you to share your methods of getting information with me…

Apparently taking up five paragraphs to share my failed relationship with the printed daily newspaper didn’t inspire a response. All I know is that the idea of a free and uncensored press was important enough to be included in the Constitution and I am greatly concerned to see the local press disappear and see that what’s left is being swallowed up by conglomerates whose chief commitment is to turn a consistent profit for investors by keep the public plugged into whatever they’re selling. And in the midst of all of this, it would seem that most of us only pay attention enough to confirm whatever it is that we already believe.

I get it. Who has the time? I’m a workaholic who feels bad when I take a night off during the week to watch something on TV. I get my news via audio podcasts while I’m getting my day started or driving or when I take a break to eat. I don’t take the time to check to determine if the presenter, reporter or commentator has three verified independent sources for whatever they’re talking about (even though I tried to teach my media students to do this when writing their stories). The era of Cronkite and my dad’s LA Times spread all over the kitchen table, that era is over. Kids search for information on TikTok and for awhile the most trusted journalist in America was Jon Stewart. What a weird world we live in. While you watch the following video, please click the link and let me know how you get your news (thanks):  https://forms.gle/en2jtC8GfBnaiAfP9

Jon Stewart: How the Fake Newsman Won Over America by Bloomberg Originals (2014)

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