05:30 Start the day getting ready for work with checking Yahoo news for anything interested. Swipe to the second “shohei ohtanis reps request law enforcement investigation of alleged theft by fired interpreter“ story of about Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter being fired for stealing his money and using to gamble. Not a particularly important story but I’m a baseball fan and my team is the Angels and the Dodgers stole Ohtani from them for $700 million.
06:05 While brushing my teeth I skim an associated press story about a federal Court order that puts Texas law allowing Police to arrest migrants who cross illegally back on hold. This is an interest example of the complex and challenging play between federal and state authorities. The immigration issue being delt with in court is very interesting the fact that it is a presidential election year is drawing even more attention to it.
I stopped at this one because my wife watches all the who done it stories and it reminded me of the countless datelines we have watched. Reading this story, I got sucked in by the conspiracy type theories that were thrown in.”The only ways in which the defense could have obtained this personal juror identification information was either by photographing the jury list that was presented to counsel during jury selection or copying the names down off this same list,” I had not heard of this story before so I guess the click bait worked on me.
06:53 Last bit of media I get, which I get is listening to the previous nights “NBC Nightly News” broadcast. Listening to the news from the day before is part of my daily routine on my way to work. I think of NBC as a reputable news source that is center-left of liberal leaning. I get past their political bias and really try to listen to the events at face value. The stories in this days news were: Police: Fugitives suspected in killings, Apple antitrust lawsuit , American Airlines plane brakes fail, U.S. calls for Gaza cease-fire, Americans evacuated from Haiti, Historic kidney transplant and Monument to freedom a slave trade sculpture park.
07:10 Get to work and the grind starts. Email, meetings, and getting out of the office to visit a few of the sections across the Air Station.
11:45 Head to the Mess Hall for lunch. During lunch I read a couple of articles, Marine Corps related of course. I usually hit my Google feed for that because it knows that’s what I want to read at lunch time. This Marine ruled as the king of a Haitian island for three years.
17:30 After being back in the office and checking and responding to the last emails of the day its time to pack up and make my way to my kids high school baseball game.
21:45 Game over and home to unwind. After some late dinner, which is unfortunately normal in our house, I sit down and enjoy some Facebook feed browsing and some funny pet TikTok videos. For the most part, I see family and friend posts on Facebook. I don’t click on ads, and I only stop and read things or click on pictures of people I value and am interested in, my “friend list” is pretty small. My kids turned my on to TikTok and most of what the algorithm feeds me is pets, baseball, and TikTok shop ads about home improvement items. I make a point to not search political or current event type things on TikTok I just want mindless type entertainment in my feed.
22:30 I check my work email and calendar for tomorrow, for the last time just to make sure I don’t have a first thing in the morning meeting. I set my alarm for 05:30 and prepare to rinse and repeat.
Reflecting on my media activity, it’s obvious that the content varies widely in terms of subject matter, ranging from sports and legal issues to national news and personal interest stories. This diversity in content consumption highlights a few trends in my media consumption and the need for fact-checking.
Patterns and Trends
**Interest-Driven Consumption**: The media consumed is largely driven by personal interests, such as sports (Shohei Ohtani’s story), legal intrigue which could also be a bit if click bait (Rebecca Grossman’s case), and professional relevance (Marine Corps stories). This makes sense as I would expect most individuals tailor their media intake based on personal preferences and relevance to their lives.
**Variety of Sources**: The sources range from traditional news outlets (Associated Press, NBC Nightly News) to social media platforms (Facebook, TikTok). I believe indicates a trend towards a mix of both traditional and new media platforms, probably influenced by my children and the younger people I work with, for information.
**Engagement with Current Events**: Despite a preference for interest-driven stories, I still think it’s important to be up to date with current events and broader news stories, such as immigration laws and international affairs (Gaza cease-fire).
Fact-Checking
**Sensational Stories**: Stories with sensational elements, like the alleged theft by Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter or the accusations against Rebecca Grossman, may require more rigorous fact-checking. The sensational nature of these stories can sometimes lead to misinformation or exaggeration.
**Social Media Content**: Content consumed on platforms like Facebook and TikTok, especially those related to news or current events, should be approached with caution. The algorithm-driven nature of these platforms can sometimes promote misleading or unverified information.
Fact-Checking Tools and Techniques
**Cross-Verification**: Checking multiple reputable sources to verify a story’s accuracy.
**Official Statements**: Looking for official statements or releases from involved parties or authorities, particularly in legal or criminal matters.
**Fact-Checking Websites**: Utilizing established fact-checking websites to verify claims, especially those that seem sensational or unlikely.
Given the variety of content and sources that I utilize daily, I can see how important it is maintain a critical eye and use fact-checking techniques, for stories that seem sensational or are sourced from social media platforms. While there’s no indication that the content consumed contains more questionable content than not, the potential for misinformation is always present and verification is always important.
In terms of actions, consumers should:
– Continue to diversify their media sources to get a well-rounded view of events.
– Use fact-checking techniques for stories that could impact public opinion or have significant consequences.
– Be cautious of content on social media platforms and seek out original sources or reputable news outlets for verification.
