Edit 1 About Me and The Information I Consume

About Me

I am a student in my second year pursuing a degree in Communications. I chose to obtain my associate's degree first because it allows me to gain a strong foundation of classes in various topics before committing to a four year university. My long term career goals involve working in a field where I can influence and motivate society and individuals with communication and media. The careers I have been researching most are public relations, marketing, and social media management. Currently, besides working in retail on the weekend, I am an intern at a small economic development agency working with public relations, web design, and economic growth strategies.

I am most interested in expanding my knowledge of how media influences our cultural norms, trends, and opinions. One question I have asked myself recently is if the platforms we obtain media from are biased, how does this shape our cognition? I want to understand not only the media we see but also the origin, and how this shapes the media. I want to gain a better understanding of how different platforms can change the way media is consumed and shared.

Outside of college, I am usually doing something creative and hands on projects, including crafting, baking, and playing video games. My cat Pickles is often found by my side when reading or while scrolling on TikTok or Instagram. On the weekends, with my partner we enjoy going to the coast, exploring local beaches. I have a large rock and agate collection that I am endlessly expanding.

The Information I Consume

My three main sources of information are TikTok and Facebook. These sources are the first place I see current trends and breaking news, because they are accessible, and are platforms I am constantly interacting with. 

Breaking news being presented on social media, for example,
TikTok and Instagram, can not be reliable. When I see the news of a major event on a social media platform, I go to a news source like CNN or The New York Times to gain further information. I consider established news organizations more reliable than just social media platforms because they use verified sources and try to be unbiased. These articles are held accountable for errors and follow standards in journalism. Consuming news organizations can provide more context and detailed reporting on breaking news.

Given what I know about fake news and misinformation, I am very concerned about the current state of our media ecosystem. It is becoming increasingly hard to find information that is unbiased or unedited. AI is an increasing reality and it has a major influence on the media. I personally try to read multiple credible sources on one topic with original reporting. I also focus on who posted the media and why. This allows me to form an understanding of a topic that is diverse and based upon the facts.