By Micah Sébastien Zhang
JRNL 200 Blog #01
Based on the prompt "What are the different sources of information that you consume and can you identify whether they employ journalistic methods?"
This article was first published on VROOM’s UBC Blog on September 9, 2024.
There was a second I just wanted to shut down all my news feeds before my eyes.
It was during the first couple of months of the Covid-19 pandemic. I was stuck at home with my mom, taking online classes, searching for more information, just to figure out what the hell was happening here.
Yet I was getting more and more depressed.
I heard ambulances’ sirens bursting on the roads; I saw photos of people collapsing on the streets; the crave for accurate information was scorching; the censorship was piercing.
And then there was my EUREKA moment for a simplest question:
"Why can’t we just have a media platform that includes information from all different reliable sources in a calm, objective style that grants us the choice to believe upon facts from different perspectives?"
Behind that yelling, angsty, interrogative question, I was no more than a tired, little human being who was tired about all the propaganda bullshit.
With that question, I began to build interests toward journalism, and I was doing it in the most primitive ways: aimlessly bumping in the sea of news websites.
I mean, it’s dumb, but at least it kinda worked out.
At least I get to know the differences between facts and propaganda, between focuses and political biases, and between private-owned outlets and public-funded platforms.
At least I now know to get news directly from neutral or public-funded outlets like AP, Reuters, AFP, BBC, Canadian Press, CBC, etc……
And moreover, an important lesson: never look up news on social media because you’ll see some filthy and toxic comment sections.
And also the final lesson and discovery: use RSS.
A quick peak at my RSS reader
RSS, a.k.a. Really Simple Syndication, the good ol’ internet magic, thriving in the Y2K internet era, but now ditched by lazy, modern technology people.
It’s essentially like YouTube: you found someone you like, you subscribe them, then you could find them (the feeds) in an organized lists, and you can choose just to see them.
RSS is the same thing: you find the RSS feed links from some websites, you put them into your RSS reader, and KABOOM! There you go! You just got yourself an unique news briefing space, all by yourself!
No algorithms, no distractions, and no nasty comment sections. 😀
A word for The Canadian Press: please make your RSS feeds public; CTV ones already dead. 😦
(But great job for CBC and Global News for keeping your RSS feeds live and strong!)
(And also my infinite gratitude to The Ubyssey for still providing its top-quality RSS feed)
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