Around election time, news plays a huge factor in the lives of many. As college students, watching current events on a TV channel or picking up a newspaper, may not be a viable way to ingest what is happening in the world. Pulling out a phone screen and scrolling through endless amounts of posts seems to be a more popular method.
As time goes on, traditional news media seems to increasingly become obsolete. However, that does not mean that news stops. There has been a shift from old-fashioned ways to receive information, to newer methods.
Social media has dominated the media industry over the past several years.
Several platforms are popular for spreading information including Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and so on.
“More and more people are turning to social 8media and other forms of digital media to get their news with Pew Research reporting that 8 out of 10 Americans get their news from some sort of digital device,” states Charlotte McKinley for PR Daily.
Some students at the University of Memphis seem to be on tract with the Pew Research statistics.
University student, Anna Funes says she checks the news once a week or so, and mainly uses Twitter.
Twitter is well-known for its trending and news features. Twitter users can also turn on news alerts to be sent to their phone.
Miriam Grosmann, a UofM tennis player, catches up on news a couple times a week depending on current events. She utilizes Instagram the most.
Jackson Gaither, a communications major, discusses his intake of news.
“I would say I check the news maybe two days a week. I use social media – Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok to check what’s going on in the world,” he says.
Prince Williams, another student, states, “I use Twitter and Instagram for a lot of my information. I try to check the news at least twice a week because of school and to stay informed.”
Even though students are finding outlets to receive news and stay informed, the campus could improve the recourses to help expand knowledge of current events.
Grosmann says the University could help make news more interesting an accessible by, “making social media posts more interactive to the views to draw their attention.”
“The university could do more promotional stuff with the news. I haven’t really seen the newspaper or gone to the website. I’ve just heard about it through word of mouth,” Gaither states.
“The university could give us access to famous newspapers like The New York Times. I also think adding local newspapers around campus can make news more accessible,” Williams suggests.
Through the campus library, students can access several publications online. Papers accessible to students include The Commercial Appeal and the Jackson Sun. For several years, students were able to access The New York Times, however, that subscription ended earlier this semester. Students can access different news resources on the library databases passwords site.
“Though news companies like Fox News, or the Wall Street Journal might not be the first places students turn to for news or information, that does not mean that they are not getting news or information,” notes McKinley.
No matter the platform or paper, it is crucial for students to stay informed of what’s happening.
