Conflicts, problems, crimes, and deaths all show up in the news. The news may not always be pleasant or even real in some cases but searching for the facts about what is happening in the world around us is essential.
This past weekend I scrolled through newsfeeds and discovered that John McCain had died. I went to find my sister to talk about the details and repercussions of what his death might mean.
“Hey, did you know John McCain is dead?” She started kind of blankly at me and responded.“Uh, no. Who’s John McCain again?”
I held in my surprise and disappointment. It may not have been breaking news but when political figures or anyone in the public eye passes away people take notice. Today it seems more and more people aren’t turning on the TV, listening to the radio or opening newspapers. As comfortable as it would be, the world doesn’t exist in little bubbles wholly unaffected by what is happening around them.
Keeping up with the political changes in the U.S. isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but with elections for 35 Senate seats and all 435 seats in the House happening this November, we need to be paying attention. These officials can affect change in the state and more local levels. On a broader scale, elected officials like President Trump may make accusations and claims leading to fake news.
A recent example would be President Trump furiously attempting to point a finger at Google’s bias claiming that they did not promote the State of the Union address after the start of his administration. Eventually, Google was able to show that while they had never promoted addresses to Congress
, they had covered his SOTU speech on Jan. 30 2018.
How we receive our daily dose of current events varies, with some choosing to visit sites and others scrolling through social media sites. Wherever you go there is a chance that breaking news of some outrageous event may be falsified. Fabricated stories can appear, sources may be unreliable and searching for several perspectives on an event may reveal a more accurate portrayal.
Repercussions from what’s happening around us could extend from new legislation or bringing certain topics to the forefront of everyday discussions. Consider looking up current events regarding issues you’re passionate about and how they may have affected you.
Whether you get your news from NPR, the New York Times or CNN it’s important to stay informed on what’s real, what’s news and how it impacts us all.
