Diversify sources of news

WHERE do you get your news? According to the Ateneo School of Government (ASoG) research, 79 percent of Filipinos said "they often get their news from incidental or random news exposure on their Facebook feed." Based on a report by Kaithreen Cruz of The Manila Times, the ASoG results of the online survey of 2,000 respondents showed that 66 percent were getting their news from television; some 57 percent from YouTube; and 54 percent from news websites. I get 50 percent of the news from Twitter. My breakfast habit reaches over an hour because I devote it to reading the news as I savor my coffee brew. They go well together. I browse through the trends or a customized Twitter listing of authoritative online media sites, experts and personalities to get a rundown. Reading the news from the Manila Times and New York Times app is perfect for long reads. Occasionally I enable text to speech mode if I get bleary-eyed. Or throwing a voice command "what's the news?" on the Google Nest Mini. It's like tuning into the radio. Google news, (a personalized news aggregator that organizes and highlights what's happening around me), is next. My husband is another source because he knows what issues are close to my heart. Either he blurts it out loud or shares it on iMessage. The limitation in using Google or my news list could trap me in an echo chamber. It is one reason I follow certain social media personalities that hold contrary views. I still need to be cautious and review if their opinions are based on facts. Getting the news on social media feeds could set you up in a filter bubble, so it is best to seek reliable sources.

Project Research Manager and Associate Professor Ma. Rosel San Pascual of ASoG even reminded the public that "it is not enough to get political news from your Facebook feed. The habit of actively seeking news from a variety of credible sources is very important to increase your understanding of politics and level of confidence in participating in political affairs." It is interesting to note that "two in every three respondents or about 71 percent said they pay attention to posts about government and politics on their Facebook feed."