Staying Updated.

Where do you usually get your news? How do you know what is going on? 

It's strange to think about where I get my news, because I'm not someone who normally makes much of a conscious effort to read the newspaper or listen to the radio. But, somehow, I end up knowing and staying up to date with what's going on around in the massive world around me. 

One of my biggest sources of news would probably be people. Whether it's simple gossip between a friend group or whether it's discussing breaking news, people like to talk. They just do. There are always those individuals who come up to you and ask, "hey, did you hear what happened? So and so did this in this place and this other cool thing happened!"... etc etc.  I would say that's how I get all of the bigger news stories that everyone hears. We are living in an age where news travels at a crazy fast pace. 

I remember the morning of the Aurora shooting. I was asleep when it actually happened, so I didn't know anything until that morning when I woke up. So many people had heard the news before me. My aunt, who lives in NJ and therefore is two hours ahead of Colorado, called in the morning asking if we were safe. Naturally, I was like, "wait, what happened in Aurora?" I simply Google'd "Aurora Shooting" and opened up Facebook and BAM!, news and comments were everywhere. From Google, various news articles popped up, and on Facebook, half of my 'friends' posted statuses such as "Is everyone okay?" and "Pray for Aurora." I had received multiple messages from my friends out of state asking me if I was okay because they knew I lived in the area. I got texts from my friends checking to see if I was safe and was not in that theater at that time. Within the span of the next few weeks, I heard about friends of friends or family friends of friends who were injured at the shooting, who had almost gone to the theater but had decided against it. 

Even in blogging, I see the news. I often go on Tumblr and come across posts discussing topics and news that I have not yet heard about, whether it is national or international. Don't underestimate the power and presence of social media. I found out from Facebook when South Korea elected its first female president in December. This is probably a bit sad, but it's usually where I first come across news stories. People post articles, statuses, or comments on the latest news, and if someone mentions news I haven't heard about, I look it up. On many website homepages, news is displayed. Sometimes, I go on news websites and see what's going on, but for the most part, I get my news from other people who saw it or from people who got it from other people. Unless I am following a specific story, I don't regularly go to news sites or newspapers to browse current events and such, but that's just me. Maybe after reading the New York Times regularly, I'll turn into a news junkie. Probably not, but there is a heck of a lot of crazy news in our world.