1. Re-read your original post and indicate whether or not your views have changed.

No, my views have not changed from those I posted on November 17, 2014, as part of 1-2 Blog: Examining Media Use and Influence. Instead, after taking this course, I would add more of my views and knowledge to what I posted. An example is under point 6 and paragraph 3. It currently reads, “The differences of our current time and place to the past is that knowledge and news is shared instantaneously through many different media and people are almost constantly checking the news updates, whether it be on their cell phone, computer or tablet, or television.” I would add to that sentence and today would write, “The differences of our current time and place to the past is that knowledge and news is shared instantaneously through many different media such as Twitter, Facebook, blogs, online newspapers, websites, podcasts, Instagram, Reddit, and other social media and news sites. People are almost constantly checking for news updates, whether it be on their cell phone, computer or tablet, or television.”

I think that it is a positive thing that my views have not changed as that shows that I am consistent in my words and thinking. I also think that by wanting to add more to my first post, it shows that I have learned a lot in this class and that I am and can apply what I have learned to earlier posts and writings in this semester.

2. Additionally, explain what role you believe writers play in the dissemination of information, the power they hold to influence beliefs, and the importance for them to act in ethical ways. What is the danger when writers do not act ethically? Who is in danger?

Writers play a very important and influential role in the dissemination of information. What writers write and then publish, either in a newspaper or on a blog, is very often the first commentary or report on a news event that people read about a breaking news story. This dissemination of information of a news event can be information that stays with people because people will think that they now have most of the facts and they start spreading this information, that they have read about and learned from a writer, to their friends by talking, tweeting, posting, sharing, e-mailing, and more.

The power writers hold to influence beliefs is great. Readers and consumers of news, if they are not media literate, will assume that the writer has done their job in analyzing and correctly presenting information. If this is the case, then readers are more likely to be influenced by writers in their beliefs of news events and the effects of those events on society and culture. Writers who are published in newspapers usually have a following of loyal readers and thus the sphere of influence that writers have on people’s beliefs is very high.

It is important for writers to act in ethical ways. Writers can influence and sway readers in important issues and at key times such as when their is an upcoming vote and election. If people do not take the time to check into what the writer is saying, than the people may very well be influenced in their voting decision by one writer alone.

When writers do not act ethically, people who read their blogs and newspaper columns are in danger, especially if the people are not media literate and do not take the time to research and verify information presented by writers for themselves. The danger in writers not acting ethically is that readers of their work may believe and take as fact what they have written without doing any further research to verify the facts and stories that writers have presented in their writing and articles. If readers than share the information they have obtained with their friends and family, the potential impact on people who have the wrong facts because of one writer who has not acted ethically is huge.

3. Does becoming “media literate” reduce or eliminate the potential for content consumers to be influenced?

Becoming media literate reduces the potential for content that consumers can be influenced by. Even by being media literate, if for one day or evening a consumer is not fully engaged and aware of the news they are taking in, they may be influenced by what they are reading, hearing, or seeing without realizing it. However, being media literate is a key factor for consumers to know that they are consciously evaluating the media they are taking in and interacting with on a daily basis. Media literacy helps ensure that consumers are doing their part of checking facts in what they read, hear, and watch which should, in turn, encourage writers to be more careful and take their time reporting on news events since they will know that consumers will call them out if the information they have published and posted is not correct.

Ultimately, each person is responsible for becoming media literate and only when each person has become so, is when the potential for consumers to be influenced by content will have been eliminated.

1. How does multimedia enhance our messaging?

Multimedia enhances our messaging in several ways. Multimedia elements, such as videos embedded in blog posts and blog pages, links to other posts and articles on the same subject, and comments and discussions on social media sites such as Reddit, Twitter, and Facebook, give bloggers the opportunity to further validate and legitimize their viewpoint to readers and viewers. Multimedia engages readers with more than just words – talking, sound, and music engage the readers in the sense of hearing and can keep the reader interested in the topic and stay on the blog for a longer time.

2. Are certain multimedia techniques more effective than others?

I believe that videos are particularly effective as a multimedia technique. Videos provide a visual and audio engagement for the reader and viewer of a blog and can add a voice to the writer of the blog if the blogger has made and posted a video which introduces them to their followers. An issue that bloggers must take into consideration before posting a video is to consider the length of the video and how it would fit with the audience and the subject being addressed.

Providing links to other online websites and resources is another effective multimedia technique. If readers are interested in the subject being blogged about, they will appreciate it if the blogger would include a few links to similar resources where the reader can learn more.

3. To support your argument, provide examples of at least 2 sites (link to them) that use multimedia elements and explain why they are/aren’t effective.

Hopkins Interactive: www.hopkins-interactive.com.

The Hopkins Interactive website is about and written by current John Hopkins University (JHU) students. The website features blogs written by current John Hopkins University students in their Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior years. This enables potential future students to learn more about what life is like as a JHU student and to ask questions of current students. The multimedia and interactive elements of this website include blogs, videos, and tweets from Twitter as well as buttons to connect on Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, and tumblr. I believe that these multimedia elements are effective because it is appealing to college-age readers who are, most likely, highly engaged on social and multimedia platforms and will respond to the elements when they see them on the website.

BuzzFeed: www.buzzfeed.com.

BuzzFeed mainly has content that is focused tips, quizzes, celebrity news, and world news. The visual colors, look, and layout of BuzzFeed is very appealing to readers and includes many multimedia elements. The multimedia elements most noticeably included are videos, Facebook, blogs, apps, and RSS feeds. I think that the multimedia elements are effective on BuzzFeed because they are grouped together. Videos can be seen and viewed by clicking on a tab, the Facebook button is clearly at the top, and readers can see right on the homepage who wrote which article and how many responses have been posted and how recently those comments have been posted.

The blog I chose to comment on for this week’s blog post is Breadcrumbs and the website address of the blog is: http://rwardyn.wordpress.com/author/rwardyn/.

1. In your opinion, what are the “best practices” when creating a blog to ensure appropriate form, function, and substance?

Several things contribute hugely to the form and substance of a blog. Those things include a short and catchy tagline, bright and appealing photos, and an informative ‘About’ page to get to know the author/blogger. Each of these elements allows the reader to know what the blog is about and what subjects and topics the blogger might post about.

Posting on a regular schedule is a great blogging practice to follow as that way readers will visit the blog on a regular basis and will know when to check back for a new post. Being honest and showing respect in the way posts are written is also a good blogging practice and one that will help the blogger to build credibility with their readers.

2. How has your chosen blog met or not met these “best practices”?

I think that the blog I chose has met the best practices. The blogger tells the readers a little about herself, her background, her interests, and what she hopes to accomplish with her posts and blogs. Rachael, the author/blogger, considers herself an artist and poet and this shows in the banner photo showing hands which have pastel chalk crushed up in them and one of the posts being about the bookstore where the blogger works.

Rachael considers her family and faith an important part of her life and this lets readers know what kind of a slant her posts may have. One of her posts featured photos and a write-up about the basement apartment she and her husband live in and this confirms that family is important to her.

While she does not have a specific code of ethics posted on her blogs, I believe that she does ensure that she is honest and respectful in her posts. She is not attacking anyone or making rude comments and tries to share with readers, through a combination of photos and words, her story and the things she loves.

3. Additionally, complete a self-assessment of your own blog. How does your blog compare to the “best practices”? What are some elements you can improve upon? What are you doing well?

My blog needs to have an ‘About’ page and photo of me added as it would help the reader get to know me and what I will be posting about. I would like to have a following and have readers post comments in replies to my blog posts. I realize that this takes time but if I post consistently, create a welcoming and open online environment, and post on topics that interest and engage readers, I am sure that I will build a following.

I would like to add social media buttons later on this year, once I decide on the focus and direction of this blog. The social media sites I am thinking of being on include Facebook and Twitter, and I would have to do research on what other social media sites most of the followers of this blog might be on.

The elements I know I can improve upon for my blog would be setting up more pages on my blog, deciding on the purpose and direction of my blog for the future, creating and sticking to a consistent posting schedule, and knowing what subjects to post and blog about. When a blogger is confident in what they blog about and how often they blog, it comes through and the readers pick up on that and respond to that by following the blog.

What I am doing well on my blog is that I like the style and feel of the blog and that includes the font and the colors. I think it gives the impression of being streamlined and professional and yet is dynamic. My writing is professional although I am not sure yet if I will have to change my writing style as it will depend on the direction I want to take this blog for the future.

4. As a blogger, if there were an official “Blogger’s Code of Conduct,” would you read it, follow it, and find it useful?

If there were an official ‘Blogger’s Code of Conduct’, I would read it and find it useful. I believe that I would try to follow the conduct; however, that being said, I as the blogger would still need to use my own judgement to decide how best to apply the Blogger’s Code of Conduct. In most cases, I would probably adhere to the Conduct but as was clearly shown in the 4-1 Discussion: Who’s the Predator? earlier this semester, even with having a common conduct for journalists in the SPJ’s Code of Ethics, everyone made a different decision with regards to going ahead or not with following that story.

After considering the ‘Blogger’s Code of Conduct’, what it would essentially come down to as a final decision whether to post about something or not would be a person’s own ethics and standards of what they find would be acceptable to write a blog post about. This is something that no one can decide for a blogger but the blogger themselves.

Trying social media sites that I have not used before has certainly shown me how many resources there are on the internet to help spread messages to a large global audience. I feel that I have more confidence in being willing to try new social media sites after completing this assignment.

Wikipedia Page

Wikipedia and Wikipedia pages contain information, facts, and history about people, companies, cities, and many other subjects. Anyone can start, create, and write a Wikipedia page. However, upon starting a user page for the company that I own, I realized very quickly that there is more to starting a Wikipedia page than at first meets the eye.

A lot about writing content for a Wikipedia page includes the formatting of the page so that it is consistent in looks and style with other Wikipedia pages. It takes some practice to become comfortable navigating in Wikipedia and knowing what to type so that a word will be written in bold type or be linked to another page in Wikipedia. The following is my result of setting up and trying to use a Wikipedia page for my company, BG Mountain Studio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:BgMountainStudio.

Wikipedia pages are used searched by people who are looking for information on various subjects. Because Wikipedia pages can be started, written, and edited by anyone, it can be hard to ascertain and determine whether the facts presented on the Wikipedia pages is true. This is why Wikipedia is generally not a good source to include in academic papers.

Instagram

I had intended to setup an account on Instagram. However, when I visited the website to learn how to setup an account, it read, “Instagram is a mobile app that you can download on iOS and Android phones and tablets as well as Windows Phone 8 and above. You must create your account using the Instagram mobile app, not a computer. After you’ve downloaded the app and created an account, you can view your Instagram posts from a computer. ( Creating an Account on Instagram)”

As I do not have a phone or a tablet, I was not able to continue in setting up an account on Instagram.

Reddit

It was easy to setup an account on Reddit. What takes more time to learn and figure out is how to actually use Reddit. After a little research, I discovered that the way to interact on Reddit is to look for posts in what is called “subreddits” which are groups of posts that centre on a similar topic such as ‘Music’, ‘Classical Music’, ‘Yoga’, and more, and in those groups, a person can comment on another person’s post by sharing links to resources and giving suggestions and advice. Any Reddit member can write a post or add a link to their own post.

Essentially, Reddit is an informal place where people can meet online and exchange information and learn new things. The posts on Reddit are not as social as Facebook but the posts are certainly not as formal as posts on a newspaper website such as Huffington Post or Fox News. Now that I have tried Reddit, I can see why Obama chose to host talks on Reddit during his 2012 campaign because many people can be on Reddit all at the same time and post questions and receive answers almost instantaneously.

Podcasts

Although I have not yet published a podcast on Podbean, I find that so far this podcast hosting site is easy to use and navigate. The link to my podcast home page is at: http://bgmountainstudio.podbean.com/.

I chose to use Podbean as the site to host potential podcasts that I will give in the future. Podbean seems to be more geared toward radio talk-show podcasts whereas other podcast hosting sites, such as SoundCloud, are more for singers and the sharing of their songs.

Podbean allows the administrator to select a theme, such as ‘Classical’, ‘Music’, and more, to personalize the look of their podcast home page and give people an idea of what kinds of podcasts they may find on the page. As well, people can follow podcast channels and podcasts are categorized in different channels such as ‘Art’, ‘Government & Organizations’, ‘Business’, and more. When setting up a Podbean account, it is important to take time in deciding on the name of the home page and channel as it is not allowed to change the home page name once it is selected.

1. Who is the writer? Do you consider the author a “professional journalist”?

The writer of this blog is Lee Becker. Yes, I do consider the author a professional journalist for several reasons. Mr. Becker’s education includes a BA in Journalism, an MA in Communications, and a PhD in Mass Communications which means that he has studied what it means and entails to be a professional journalist. In the Chambers dictionary, a professional is defined as “pertaining to a profession; engaged in a profession or in the profession in question; and showing the skill, artistry, demeanour or standard of conduct appropriate in a member of a (particular) profession”. Even though Mr. Becker may not be a payed professional journalist, he is engaged in the profession of being a journalist as he is reporting and writing about facts and events that take place in his county. In addition, he shows the skills and standard of conduct that would be expected from a professional journalist, regardless of whether the journalist writes a blog or works for a nationally known newspaper or television station.

2. What is the purpose of this site? Is there a bias?

The purpose of this site is to inform residents and the general public about the actions and decisions that take place and happen in Oconee County, Georgia. Yes, there is a bias in this reporting. The author’s bias is that he is interested in what is going on in Oconee County and is biased in wanting to make sure that only the best decisions are made and actions are taken for the good of Oconee County residents and the local population. It is true that Mr. Becker is mainly reporting on facts and events which at first do not seem biased but he would not be reporting on his county if he was not interested in encouraging people in his community to be informed citizens and so this leads to a bias what he is reporting and why. On his site, Mr. Becker himself says, “I’m a citizen of Oconee County. My experiences and aspirations for the county have influence on what I post here”.

3. Does the writer adhere to SPJ’s Code of Ethics? Does it seem like he takes steps to verify information and report truthfully and accurately?

Yes, the writer does adhere to SPJ’s Code of Ethics. As far as I can tell, Mr. Becker does take steps to verify the information and report truthfully and accurately. He includes video clips and quotes from people who have made those decisions or who are involved in the project being talked about and that he is reporting on. I have not seen or read any retractions from Mr. Becker or any comments that would suggest that the facts and stories he presents and writes about are not true. Though he does not mention the SPJ’s Code of Ethics specifically, Mr. Becker confirms that:

“I strive to be accurate, fair and transparent.

I want to reflect events and discussions, using links to document what is known.

I want to offer a balanced presentation that recognizes different points of view and portrays the people involved with respect.

I want to tell how I learned what I have learned and be clear about any role I have played in what is being presented.

Comments are encouraged. I attempt to apply the standards of accuracy, fairness and transparency to them as well”.

The above follows the SPJ’s Code of Ethics: 1) Seek Truth and Report It, 2) Minimize Harm, 3) Minimize Harm, and 4) Be Accountable and Transparent.

4. In your opinion, does it really matter if someone reporting news is labeled as a “professional” or not? Should everyone be held to the same ethical standards regardless of their professional classification?

No, it does not matter to me if someone is labeled as a professional or not. Yes, everyone should certainly be held to the same ethical standards regardless of their professional classification. However, that being said, I think that even though Mr. Becker is not a professional in the sense that he is not working for a reputed media outlet such as a newspaper or television, he is a professional in the education he has received because he possesses degrees in the journalist and communications fields which other reporters for newspapers or televisions may not have or may not have a Masters degree or a PhD degree. In addition, he is also a professional, and more importantly so, because he follows and upholds the SPJ’s Code of Ethics.

5. How does the rise of citizen journalists and bloggers change the way we receive knowledge and what we know? What are the advantages and disadvantages (or challenges) attributed to the presence of these new writers? Can “non-professionals” show good judgment, assemble information for balanced stories, and build up credibility?

The rise of citizen journalists and bloggers changes the way we receive knowledge and what we know is that we do not have to rely on or wait for newspaper and television reporters to report on an event that happens. If the newspaper and television reporters decide that the event is not important and do not cover it, than the public can always go to blogs and citizen journalists to find out the information and check a few blogs and sources before making a decision on what opinion to have about the event.

The advantages attributed to the presence of these new writers are that events that take place, particularly locally in communities, can be reported on directly by local citizens who want other citizens to be informed and these new writers, unlike those who work for newspapers, magazines, or televisions, are independent and therefore, may not be as easily influenced in reporting in favor of one side or another. A challenge, however, can be verifying whether who is writing the blog is actually who they say they are as one never fully knows who the other person is on the other side who is writing the posts and stories.

Yes, non-professionals most definitely can show good judgement, assemble information for balanced stories, and build up credibility as is shown in Mr. Becker’s blog. If non-professionals follow SPJ’s Code of Ethics, as most everyone should be capable of doing that, than the chance is high for having well-balanced and credible stories. It may take a while for the writer and their blog to become known but once a few people read their blog and consistently see good judgement, balanced stories, and credibility, than they will start sharing the blog with their friends, family, and neighbors, and soon a following of the blog will grow.

1. Whether or not you think the modern trend of “report now, apologize later” by news agencies is a violation of the SPJ’s Code of Ethics.
Yes, the “report now, apologize later” by news agencies is a violation of the SPJ’s Code of Ethics. Specifically, it violates the following SPJ ethics: Seek Truth and Report It; Minimize Harm; Be Accountable and Transparent; .For the ‘Seek Truth and Report It’, if the journalists and news reporters would first seek the truth and verify that they have found the truth, many times the news that they publish or share would not be published or broadcasted right away but would be made available later once they had verified the facts and found the truth. If reporters report on stories that are not true, than they could potentially be harming an innocent person, especially in crime cases, as the public may than view that person in a negative light and that person will then have a hard time making a life in their community and city. To be accountable and transparent, if it happens that the information at first reported was not true or if some other additional information later came out, as sometimes happens, than journalists and reporters should be accountable to the public and acknowledge that they did not have the right facts and now they do.

2. Should we expect (or demand) more evidence to verify information before it is reported to us?

Yes, I do believe that we should expect more evidence to verify information before it is reported to us. This is because if the public, as viewers and consumers of media, expect more evidence and true facts in reporting, than journalists and reporters will rise to that level and deliver to the public what it they know they are expecting to receive from the media. In contrast, however, I also believe that journalists and reporters must be professional when doing and completing their work and must take responsibility for what they report. Journalists and reporters must be accountable and take self-responsibility in doing the best job they can when checking facts, verifying information, and then reporting on news.

3. Who is to blame for this trend? Should we, as citizens, demand more from our news agencies, or are we, with our desire for immediate knowledge, the culprit?

I think the problem of this trend is equally the fault of citizens and news agencies. Because citizens are almost constantly connected to their electronic devices such as their cell phone, tablet, computer, or iPad, then they are used to getting constant updates and notifications from friends, family, and the world about what is going on. The news agencies know this and that is why they post news updates as they happen rather than taking more time to check facts and make sure that what they are reporting is true. News agencies do not want to be the last ones to report or comment on a news event. On the other hand, if the news agencies would take their time with checking facts first, then viewers would eventually be patient and wait for the news updates to come in as the facts and truth are properly being verified.

The article I chose is called ‘CRA Got Few Complaints About Charities’ Politics Prior to 2012′ by Althia Raj and is posted on The Huffington Post Canada’s website at CRA Got Few Complaints About Charities’ Politics Prior to 2012.

1. Explain the process you followed to evaluate the article’s sources. Did you determine the sources to be credible or not? Explain your findings in detail and state which evaluative criteria you used.

I first briefly scanned through the article to see what the article was talking about and which people were being quoted as sources. Then, I went back to the beginning of the article and I read that complaints increased since 2012 coincided with a new legislation passed by the government to audit more charities. Next, I noticed that the first source quoted was a Member of Parliament, Hedy Fry. For Ms. Fry and the other sources, I decided to do a Google search to find out more about them and their backgrounds. I learned that Ms. Fry has been a Member of Parliament since 1993 and therefore, has lots of experience and knowledge about current government laws. The second source quoted is Tim Gray, Executive Director for Environmental Defence, a charitable organization. Mr. Gray has worked for charitable organizations since 1990 and his education includes a Masters degree in Botany and Environmental Studies. The third source quoted was Graham Milner, Development Coordinator for Canada Without Poverty. Mr. Milner’s education includes Human Rights and a Masters in Business Administration and he has worked in non-profit organizations both in Canada and in Africa. Essentially, the people quoted as sources in this article have worked in their fields for around 20 years and their education is usually related to what their expertise is which helped me to determine that yes, the sources were credible.

2. Do you trust information originating from “non-professionals” such as bloggers? Explain why.

Yes, I do trust information originating from non-professionals, after checking what their experience or authority is in the field that they are writing in and reporting on. Quite often what happens is that the bloggers may have received post-secondary education in a field unrelated to journalism or communications but they are either very knowledgeable or experts in their field and they are able to share what they know about a news topic because they know how it will affect their field of work or how it might affect their community or city. If a non-professional is able to explain to me why and how they are credible, then I will trust information originating from non-professionals.

3. How has social media influenced the spreading and receiving of information?

Social media has influenced the spreading and receiving of information by enabling everyday citizens to right away post online and report on any news incident that happens, whether that be local, state/provincial, or federal news. This spreading of news via social media means that news is being spread at warp speed – almost in the blink of an eye, some new article or development is posted and then someone shares it, likes it, retweets it, e-mails it, and before the public really knows or checks the facts of an event, it is all the way around the globe. Very often, this results in an author posting information that may not have been properly verified before posting it for the whole world to read and share. It is better to post and share later on social media and have the facts right rather than posting in haste and providing the wrong information and facts.

1. What forms of new media do you use daily?

The forms of new media that I use everyday include television and Internet. When I am on the Internet, I check Facebook and e-mail, read blogs, Twitter posts, and occasionally online editions of newspapers. When watching television, I usually watch news programs and the newest episode of current television shows.

2. In what ways does media reach you indirectly (through friends, co-workers, etc.)?

Media reaches me indirectly mainly through my friends who are also on Facebook and through e-mails I receive. Another way that media reaches me indirectly is when I am standing in line at the bank or at the store and the television is on, I look at the news headlines on the screen while I wait.

3. Do you think that media influences your perspective of world events?

Yes, I know that media influences my perspective of world events. I often have to check at least two or three media sources before I know the true and important facts of a world event. After I have the information, I then make a decision on whether I should feel as apprehensive about the world event as some of the media is telling me to be or if I do not need to worry about the world event because it is less important according to what other media sources are telling me.

4. Do you believe that the media has the power to tell you what to think about, but not what to think?

No, I do not believe that the media has the power to tell me what to think about. I as an individual am responsible for my thoughts and thinking and I am the only one who has the power to decide what I think about and what my thoughts are on any particular topic. The media may encourage me to think about something but it is up to me to decide whether I think about what the media tells me to think about or not.

5. Can media shape your beliefs? If not, explain. If yes, to what degree? Is the influence strong and direct—for example, if a newscaster told you to go jump off a bridge, would you do it? Or are your beliefs cultivated over time through continued exposure, resulting in small but measurable effects?

Yes, media can shape a person’s beliefs. Media most often shapes a person’s in belief in regards to which candidate they should vote for and support. In the case of elections, the influence is often strong and direct. A journalist will write an article on why they believe a candidate to be the best one for the job or a television news station will invite experts to give their opinion on which candidate should win and why – these are examples of strong and direct influence. Other subtle influences include the media endorsing one candidate over another or only publishing and airing campaign ads from one candidate and not the other.

On the other hand, the argument can also be made that beliefs are cultivated over time as people are exposed to influences not just from the media but also from their friends, family, school, work, community, and many other places people go to shop or people they interact with.

Are these positive or negative influences?

These influences can be negative, especially if people do not take the time to do their own research on which candidate would be the best representative. In other ways, the influence can also be negative if the media has not done their research and they post or show information to their audience that has not been verified or checked for the truth.

6. How have information revolutions resulted in ways of knowledge changing or remaining the same? How has the power of media changed throughout history? What are some differences and similarities of our current time and place to the past? (Hint: See Blur Chapter 2.)

Information revolutions have resulted in changes to the ways knowledge is shared. In the 21st century, knowledge is shared through media such as the internet, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and television. Knowledge is being shared in these media through videos, pictures and images, articles, and discussions taking place in forums.

The power of media has changed throughout history in that in the past, the media was in total control of producing and spreading the news. These days, the media can produce and spread the news but someone from the audience can right away check the facts if that news is true or they can respond right away through e-mail or online posts to the news.

Some similarities of our current time and place to the past is that newspapers are still part of the media and yet media is undergoing many changes due to advances in technology which has been happening ever since writing, the Gutenberg press, radio, phone, and television were invented. The differences of our current time and place to the past is that knowledge and news is shared instantaneously through many different media and people are almost constantly checking the news updates, whether it be on their cell phone, computer or tablet, or television.