I grew up in a house where the news came on right before dinner. I did't always pay attention, but it was there in the background. On social media there are a plethora of news outlets that post stories and videos. The stories and information appear everywhere: the TV, phone, computer, radio, and work conversations. Regardless of how many times I see or hear all of the stories covering important events or the current politics, I still feel so disconnected with what is happening in the world, let alone our country.
To this day I often turn on the news before dinner, listen to the radio as I drive to work, and read the news articles that show up on social media. As I process the information presented to me, I cannot help but wonder, is this really all that is happening, or even that these are the most essential stories to report. Yes, many news outlets reported about the unimaginative incident at the Cincinnati Zoo, the unthinkable Orlando Shooting at Pulse Nightclub, and even the latest platforms of both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Understandably, these were and remain to be crucial events to report and definitely stories that the public wants to know about, but what about the stories that need to be shared and are often left out.
As I watch the different News stations, I think about how they choose the stories they report. They need viewers, therefore, they must have interesting stories that get the audience engaged. They don't report on stories that would upset their target audience. The reason this is often on my mind is because I traveled abroad to Guatemala last year. There I spoke with families in a village that was experiencing the effects of water contamination from a nearby mining location. They have been protesting the mining site and had no luck. These people are suffering from foreign companies coming in a disrupting their land and many people outside of Guatemala know nothing of these events.
By simply reading a status update and scrolling through my newsfeed I can remain connected with friends and family all across the globe. But what I still fail to comprehend is how with as many journalists, connections, and opportunities the US. has to inform us about the events in other countries and our own, why are we not more aware of these important situations?
