RED BLACK
SUPERBOWL
MEASURE INLOVE!
WILD! GONE
NBA TRADES WITH SOCIAL MEDIA POLITICS AND
BR
ISSUE 5 FEB 2025
ROCKVILLE, MD 20852
(240) - 740 - 6950
EDITORS IN CHIEF
Lou Phillips-Anderson
Madison Riggs
STAFF WRITERS/DESIGNERS
Declan Ritchotte
Emily Gonzalez Reyes
Gabriella Rivas
Giovanni Deluca
Joshua Chhoeun
Kelin Santos Castellanos
Kevin Perez Gonzalez
Lou Phillips-Anderson
Madison Riggs
Maxwell Eaton
Porter Wooden
FACULTY ADVISOR
Brett Harwood
EDUCATIONAL EDUCATIONAL DESTINATIONS DESTINATIONS
by Lou Phillips-Anderson
KILKENNY, DUBLIN -- There are plenty of international trips on offer for MCPS students, but price and accessibility concerns limit how many students can actually participate.
Northwood High School currently has two EF tours trips planned. One to Ireland, Scotland, and England this summer, and one to Europe's Mediterranean Coast over spring break 2026.
EF Tours is an educational travel company that organizes international trips for many schools, including Northwood. The company was founded in 1965 in Lund, Sweden, by Bertil Hult. Since then, EF has operated in 114 countries, according to their official company statistics. During the Olympics, EF provides language training services to athletes and staff.
Despite these impressive stats, not everyone is pleased. “The tour guide we were assigned ended up yelling at our group over a question regarding our meals,” Disappointed2019, wrote in an online review of an EF tours trip. “She completely over reacted and was extremely unprofessional.”
EF tours also sponsors a professional American Cycling team, competing annually in the UCI world tour. However, the company is not very involved in the actual management of the team.
EF has partnered with Community Boating, Inc. to help disabled people learn how to sail. This program provides adaptive boats that are accessible to people who use wheelchairs. The company does not provide similar accommodations on their own tours. According to EF’s website “Travelers should feel comfortable regularly getting on and off the bus without assistance, and independently lifting and transporting all their luggage.”
EF also operates several International Boarding Schools. One of these schools is EF Academy Pasadena, a full time boarding school that charges $77,375 a year.
These exclusive experiences cater to ultra-wealthy families who aren’t likely to have a cash crunch. But many customers of their standard trips -- which generally cost around $3-4,000 -- still may not be able to afford admission.
Whatever the setbacks, for many an EF trip is worth every cent. “Such an amazing program to help students experience once in a lifetime travel.” Said Yanira Springer, who chaperoned the ‘Ireland, Scotland and England,’ trip last summer.
The Beginning of love
Valentines Day is normally seen as flowers gifting, or eating chocolate gooey filled treats from possibly a cheap store but “its the thought that counts” right, or a card with cheesy wording like “You’re the cheese to my pepperoni”. Why though? Why was this day made? Continue reading this article, and the mind will get answers to love! Also getting answers to, What is the meaning? Why or how did this day start? Also any mythical legends that might be true.
The meaning of Valentine's Day
Lupercalia made it to be the initial rise of Christianity, bu became outlawed- being deemed to be “ un- Christian”. At the end of the 5th century, “Pope Gelatinous claimed F St. Valentine’s Day.”
Not until later February 14 is declared to be associated w/ In France and England, it was common to believe that on February 14 “the beginning of bird mating season ” made t day more romantic.
Valentine's greetings were popular all the way to the ages. A written Valentines didn’t exist until after 1400. The oldest valentines poem that was written in 1415 by Charles, (Duke of Orleans) to his wife, when he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.
Another English poet named Geoffrey Chaucer was first to be acknowledge the romance in St. Valentine day in his poem, “Parliament of Fowls”. A quote from the poem “For this was sent Seyent Valentynes day / whan every foul cometh ther to chose his mate” translation to “For this was on St. Valentine’s Day, when every bird comes to choose its mate.”
B sically people who are in a relationship are birds! hat type of bird though?
Valentine Day origin
According to History.com, the day started w/ others believing it's a memorial for Saint Valentine’s death. (occurring around A.D. 270)
Another claim, christian church (could have) decided to place a feast on Feb 15, making it an effort to “Christianize” the celebration of Lupercalia. “(Lupercalia- An ancient fertile festival that is held every year)”History.com
To begin Lupercalia, members of Lupercalia were ordered to gather at a sacred cave, where (infant) Romulus & Remus were being taken care of by a she-wolf The priests would use a goat to sacrifice, for fertility, & a dog for purification. The skin of the goat would be stripped off & turned into strips, dipping them into sacrificial blood, then taking out to the streets, slapping women gently & crop fields w/ goat skin. Touching goat skin was believed to bring more fertility to women in the coming year.
tines Day: ate Relationship
Y i the city would play “bachelor” & place their names into their name picked out by a man to be paired w/ their chosen one.
“(having some ended in a marriage)”- History.com
Mythical ~ Legends
n in the article telling us mythical legends on how S Valentines died and how the day was mad
“A saint named Valentine (or Valentinus) gave marriage to young lovers in secret but suddenly got caught by Emperor Claudius ii, & charged Valentine to be beheaded, because Emperor Claudius thought that single men are better for battle.”- history.com
The timing was the third century in Rome 27 B.C.E Others say the reasoning of Valentine's death was because of him helping Christia (who were tortured & beaten) attempting to escape from priso
“According to another legend, imprisoned Valentines sent his first “Valentin (addressing himself) after falling in love w/ a young girl (who was possibly the jaile daughter) who had been visiting him during his imprisonment.”- history.co
Before his death, he allegedly wrote a letter to the young girl signed “From y Valentines” making a headline for gifts in today's modern d
Gabriella E. Rivas
CHIEFS VS EAGLES Rematch
THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES WENT UP AGAINST THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS IN SUPER BOWL LIX (59) ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9TH, AT THE CAESAR SUPERDOME IN NEW ORLEANS, WITH THE SUPER BOWL HALFTIME SHOW PERFORMANCE BY KENDRICK LAMAR. HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED IN SUPER BOWL LIX.
LOSSES & INJURIES
AS THE FOOTBALL SEASON HAS ENDED, MUCH DRAMA HAS COME TO THE SUPER BOWL. THE 2025 SUPER BOWL WAS A REMATCH BETWEEN THE KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AND THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES. THESE TWO TEAMS HAVE HAD AN INCREDIBLE SEASON, WITH THE EAGLES HAVING ONLY THREE LOSSES AND THE CHIEFS HAVING TWO. THE EAGLES HAVE HAD TWELVE INJURIES THIS SEASON, BUT NONE PREVENTED ANY PLAYERS FROM PLAYING IN THE SUPER BOWL. THE CHIEFS HAVE ALSO HAD A FEW INJURIES, WITH TEN, AND ONE OF THEIR WIDE RECEIVERS, WASHEE RICE, COULD NOT PLAY IN SUPERBOWL LIX (59).
THE HALFTIME SHOW
KENDRICK LAMAR'S HALFTIME PERFORMANCE FEATURED SZA, SAMUEL L. JACKSON, MUSTARD, AND SERENA WILLIAMS. THE SHOW OPENED WITH AN UNRELEASED TRACK, FOLLOWED BY "SQUABBLE UP" FROM THE ALBUM "GNX." KENDRICK THEN PERFORMED "HUMBLE," "DNA," "EUPHORIA," "MAN AT THE GARDEN," "PEEKABOO," AND "LUTHER" WITH SZA, TEASING THE SONG “NOT LIKE US” THROUGHOUT THE SHOW, AIMED AT HIS RIVAL DRAKE, WHO HE CONTROVERSIALLY REFERS TO AS A “PEDOPHILE.” HE CONCLUDED THE SHOW WITH “NOT LIKE US,” REMOVING THE WORD “PEDOPHILE.”, AND ENDED THE SHOW WITH “TV OFF” ALONGSIDE MUSTARD.
SOURCES: USA TODAY, ESPN 1, BLEACH REPORT, NFL 1,
BY: PORTER W
Rematch CHIEFS
VS EAGLES
SUPERBOWL LIX (59)
Superbowl LIX (59) has a winner, and it's the Eagles!!! The final score was 22 - 40 The Kansas City Chiefs lost as they had a bad performance against the Philadelphia Eagles' defense, as they were barely able to get to the Eagles' territory. Many fans were happy that the Eagles won and the Chiefs lost. The Chief's defense could not stop Shaquon Barkley and his offensive team as they were able to weave through their defense and score four touchdowns and field goals. The Chiefs could barely get past the Eagles' defense, only scoring three touchdowns and one field goal. The Chiefs lost 22 - 40 in front of 126 MILLION people compared to last year when the Chiefs won 123.7 million in Superbowl LVIII (58). This is an all-time high for sports broadcasting history in America as the previous record was broken last year with 123.7 Million streaming the game.
CELEBS AT THE SUPERBOWL
TAYLOR SWIFT IS KNOWN TO BE DATING THE CHIEFS TIGHT END TRAVIS KELCEE, AND MANY SWIFTIES ARE STARTING TO GET INTO FOOTBALL TO SEE TAYLOR SWIFT. THE NFL TRIES TO SHOW HER A LOT ON STREAMS AND THE JUMBOTRON AT THE GAMES. BUT THIS DID NOT RECEIVE A KIND RESPONSE FROM LONG-TIME NFL FANS, SO WHEN THEY SHOWED TAYLOR SWIFT ON THE JUMBOTRON, MANY EAGLES FANS BOOED AT THE STADIUM WHEN THEY SAW HER SITTING NEXT TO ICE SPICE. WE ALSO SAW KEVIN HART THERE SUPPORTING HIS TEA,M THE EAGLES, AS WELL AS ANNA HATHWAY, BRADLEY COOPER, AND PETE DAVIDSON ALL THREE SUPPORTING THE EAGLES. EVEN TOM BRADY WAS ONE OF THE SPORTS COMMENTATORS FOR THE GAME.
SUPER BOWL LX (60) WILL BE HELD AT LEVI'S STADIUM IN SAN FRANCISCO, HOME OF THE 49ERS. PREDICTIONS FOR THIS MATCH ARE ALREADY ROLLING IN. WHO WILL BE IN IT, AND WILL THE COMMANDERS MAKE IT TO THE PLAYOFFS LIKE THIS YEAR? WE WON'T KNOW UNTIL NEXT YEAR, SO STAY TUNED.
Champions League
NEWFORMAT, MOREINJURIES
In May of 2022, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), announced that for the 2024/2025 season, the Champions League Format would be changing. There was lots of debate, greed, and agreement over the change, there was so much to discuss.
To qualify for the Champions League, you must win your domestic league or place second through fourth. In the old format, 32 teams were divided into eight groups of four. The top two in each group would move onto a knockout-style round of 16. In the group stage, the teams would play 6 games, one home and one away, against each team in their group. Then, if they qualify for the round of 16, they would play home and away as well. Playing two games up to the final allowed for very competitive matches, having to score lots of goals or win both.
This past year, 2024, the new format was put into use and showcased for the first time since its introduction in 2022. The format consists of 36 teams, an additional 4 from the previous. The new format also consists of a league phase rather than a group stage. Under the new format, teams will play eight matches in the new league phase. The league phase has replaced the group stage. They will no longer play three opponents twice, but will instead play fixtures against eight different teams, playing half of those matches at home and half of them away.
The unpredictability is a plus, but the new format also rewards mediocrity. Defending champions Real Madrid, and favorites to win again, have lost three consecutive games in the league phase. In the previous format, that would have resulted in being on the brink of elimination, but now they are still in playoff position. Even the Real Madrid head coach, Carlo Ancelotti, said after a loss to Liverpool, “It
doesn't change much because even if we won it was difficult to be in the top eight,”. The newer format allows for worse form in the league making upsets less meaningful.
The fans had their concerns with the fairness of the layout. With Northwoods soccer coach, Mr. Jean said, “I didn't think it would be fair since you don’t play every team”. The games themselves were able to change people's minds however with Mr. Jean continuing, “But the group stage was exciting all the way to the final league games.”
Freshman Abdoul Abdulkadir was worried the format would work the way UEFA wanted. He expressed his concerns by saying, “The format seemed weird to me. I didn't think a league phase would work.” But like many others, as the games progressed he sided with the new format more and more. “The games have had me on the edge of my seat more and more.”
The fans are loving the games but the players are worried about their cramped schedule and lack of rest. Liverpool goalkeeper Allison Becker stated, “No one asks us about more games, it's like they don’t care about us at all.” As much as the fans love to watch, the players need to be able to rest. Playing a game every two days is exhausting and hugely increases the risk of injuries.
In just the past two seasons, the Premier League has seen injuries increase by 11% and 22%. In La Liga, the top division of Spanish soccer, 200 injuries had happened, and 14 players had gotten surgery, by just October. Rodrigo Hernandez, Manchester City, and Spanish national team midfielder said, “If this continues we will have no option but to go on strike.” Six days later, he tore his ACL. He's not the only one with concerns about playing too many games.
“It’s not just chance there are so many injuries.” Dani Carvajal said before the season. In early October he tore two ligaments and a tendon in his knee. Rodrigo Hernandez played 185 games across three seasons. That's about a game every 4 days. Needing to recover and train again, is exhausting and at some point outworking what even the best athletes can handle.
The NBA plays 82 games in a regular season. Which is a lot but their summer break, where the players rest, recoup, and recover, is three months. Some soccer players at the highest level, barely get three weeks.
INJURIES PREDICTIONS
Real Madrid are favorites at the moment with strong league phase and domestic performances. Barcelona, another team from Spain are looking very good right now as well. On the other side of the bracket, Real Madrid and Barcelona could face each other in the final, creating one of the most exciting finals in a long time.
Watching games is great, but the players certainly need their rest. The new format has proven to be pretty good so far, and now as we move onto the knockout stage it will get more and more exciting.
By : Declan Ritchotte
Dennis Doyle - Getty Images
Robert Michael - Getty Images
BY GIOVANNI DELUCA
This year’s Grammy Awards show has come and gone. The yearly celebration of music and the music industry is an event watched and enjoyed by millions of music fans, and this year was no exception. 2024 was an excellent year for music, with releases ranging from hit pop songs that took the world by storm like Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso,” to the legendary rap beef between Drake and Kendrick Lamar culminating in the record-breaking diss track “Not Like Us,” by Kendrick Lamar How did these artists take over music in 2024? Well, read on and you’ll learn all you need to know about two of the most influential artists of the year
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ftime show, in front of an audience consisting of over 65,000 people. CNN says the track “unequivocally won” the rap feud between Lamar and Drake, as proven by its numbers and cultural impact-and it’s hard to disagree. It’s no wonder, then, that the track won the song of the year award-cementing itself as one of the most legendary rap songs of the 2020’s. In total, Lamar won 5 awards at the 2025 Grammys: Song of the Year (“Not Like Us”), Record of the Year (“Not Like Us”), Best Rap Performance (“Not Like Us”), Best Rap Song (“Not Like Us”), and Best Music Video (“Not Like Us”)
Photo: New York Times
Photo: PNGEgg
BY GIOVANNI DELUCA
If you’ve gone through 2024 without hearing about Sabrina Carpenter, you’ve been living under a rock. The pop star released her debut single, “Can’t Blame a Girl for Trying,” in 2014, but truly gained widespread mainstream attention when she released her hit album “Short n’ Sweet” in 2024, which of course contained one of the most popular songs of the year-”Espresso.”
The iconic pop hit was the most streamed song globally on Spotify in 2024, as well as becoming a viral background song for TikTok and Instagram
CNN states that Carpenter’s success is important because it “Wasn’t made for everyone. They [Sabrina Carpenter and other pop stars such as Chapell Roan and Charli XCX] weren’t the biggest pop stars in the world when they were writing their breakthrough albums, so they weren’t beholden to an audience of millions. They’ve each cultivated a sound so specific that it can’t be mistaken for anything else ” Sabrina Carpenter’s music represents a new age of pop, iconic and unmistakable music that isn’t for everyone-but if it is for you, you might just love it. Carpenter won 2 Grammy awards in 2025, for Best Pop Solo Performance (“Espresso”), and Best Pop Vocal Album (Short n’ Sweet”).
Luka Magic to the Lakeshow!
Perhaps the craziest trade in NBA history went down just before the NBA trade deadline. The Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Dončić, Maxi Kleiber and Markeiff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick. When the trade was first reported on February 2nd at 12:12 am by NBA reporter Shams Charania, it was so shocking that even NBA players thought the trade was fake. “April fools right?” tweeted Knicks Superstar Jalen Brunson, “Did somebody steal shams phone” tweeted Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo, and “Shams got hacked?”
was Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton’s reaction to the news.
Trades in the NBA are pretty common, but a team trading a player as good as Luka Dončić has never been done before. For those who don’t know Luka Dončić is currently in his prime and has had one of the greatest starts to an NBA career ever. Luka Dončić has been a consensus top 5 player in the league since he was drafted, just 7 years into his career he has been a 5x AllStar, a 5x member of the All NBA First Team, won Rookie of the Year in 2019, and was the scoring champion in the 2024 NBA Season. Just last season Luka Dončić scored 73 points in a game which is tied for the fourth highest scoring game ever, he also led the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011.
So far in his career, he has averaged 28.6 points per game which currently ranks third all-time, 8.7 rebounds per game and 8.3 assists per game which currently ranks 12th all-time, for comparison Lebron James is regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time and has averaged 27.0 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game and 7.4 assists per game for his career. While Luka’s regular season stats are amazing, he takes his game to a whole new level in the playoffs, in the playoffs he averages 30.9 points which is 2nd all time, and he has scored 40 points 8 different times which is tied for 13th in NBA history and puts him ahead of NBA legends such as Steph Curry, Dwayne Wade and Larry Bird.
Dončić was valued so high in Dallas that when their owner Mark Cuban was asked how far he would go to keep Luka Dončić on the Mavericks he jokingly said “If I had to choose between my wife and keeping Luka on the Mavs, catch me at my lawyer’s office prepping for a divorce”.
Image source : KXAN
Image source : CNN
“Defense
wins championships”Nico Harrison
After the trade happened reports came out about why the Mavericks traded their superstar player, first off they were unsure if he was worth the 345 million dollar contract extension that he was eligible for because of his conditioning “The Mavs had major concerns about moving forward with Luka Dončić due to his constant conditioning issues and the looming commitment of another supermax contract extension this summer” tweeted ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon. “I believe that defense wins championships, I believe that getting an all-defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We’re built to win now and in the future” said Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, when asked why he traded Luka Dončić for Anthony Davis.
Anthony Davis is one of the best defenders in the league, he has made the all-defensive team 5 times, has led the league in blocks 3 times and currently averages 2.1 blocks per game. There is no doubt that he is a great player, but he is also 31 years old and has had a history of missing games due to injury, in his career he has missed 232 and after all the best ability is availability. Just six days after the trade Anthony Davis made his debut with the Mavs. Davis played great, he scored 26 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and had 3 blocks, but he left the game with a non contact injury during the third quarter and is now out multiple weeks with a left abductor strain. The move to trade Luka for Anthony Davis has completely blown up right in the face of the Dallas Mavericks. Davis’s absence will hurt the Mavs, as of March third they are currently the 10th seed in the Western Conference and are in danger of missing the playoffs this season.
With Luka Dončić now on the Lakers they have their next face of the franchise for when Lebron James eventually decides to retire. The Lakers are one of the most successful teams in NBA history. They have won 17 Championships which is second only to the Boston Celtics and a big reason why the Lakers have had so much success is because of their ability to land NBA legends. The Lakers have had Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Lebron James, Anthony Davis and now Luka Dončić. The Lakers only drafted one of those players Magic Johnson, and acquired everyone else through trade or free agency. The Lakers ability to acquire superstar players is second to none.
Magic Johnson x Kareem Abul-Jabbar
Kobe Bryant x Shaquille
End of the End of the GOAT Debate? GOAT Debate?
When talking about the greatest football players of all time, Tom Brady is the unanimous answer. A certain name has been creeping into the conversation, but following the results of Super Bowl 59, many football fans worldwide believe that Patrick Mahomes is now out of discussion for the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) debate.
The 29-year-old quarterback reached his fifth Super Bowl in the past six years, something that had never been done before. When comparing his stats to Tom Brady in their first seven years, Mahomes outperformed in every major statistic.
With this in mind, there is a difference between being the best, and being the greatest. Brady has fifteen pro bowls, seven rings, five Super Bowl MVPs, and three AP MVPs to his name, in his 23 season career, amassing a nearly untouchable amount of accolades.
In Mahomes’ eight seasons in the league, he’s managed to capture six pro bowls, three rings, three super bowl MVPs, and two AP MVPs. Nearly half of Brady’s, in fifteen less seasons. When you adjust Brady’s stats and accolades to match the amount of seasons played by Mahomes, Brady falls short by a notable amount.
Of course, football is a two sided sport (not including special teams!), so they can only do so much on offense. In Brady’s long career, he’s had many more pro bowl defensive teammates as opposed to Mahomes, who has only had safety Tyrann Matheiu, and defensive lineman Chris Jones.
The two have faced each other a total of six times, with a tied 3-3 head to head record. Though Mahomes leads the regular season with a 3-1 record, Brady is undefeated vs Mahomes in the playoffs, defeating him in the 2019 AFC Championship, and Super Bowl LV This is a strong talking point behind those that believe Brady is the greatest.
All things considered, it is nearly impossible to make a definite decision when one has played 15 more seasons than the other Mahomes still has many years left ahead of him, with plenty of time to catch up to Brady’s resume. While Mahomes is starting to narrow in on the title of GOAT, only time will tell.
Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
TODAY’S NEWSPAPER: SOCIAL MEDIA
by Madison Riggs
THE DIGITAL AGE
Within the 21st century, one of the most notable changes is the uprising of the digital age. Social media, the internet, and easy access to any information all the time has changed the way the world functions. One of the most notable changes within this transformation is the effects of social media on American politics. While it may not seem like it has a huge impact on democracy at first, digging a little deeper, it is clear that social media changes the way voters think and interact with the political system. Today, we’re going to take a deeper look into how social media has affected politics, and how it continues to today.
SOCIAL MEDIA BASICS
Many of us are extremely familiar and well versed in using social media. However, what many of us aren’t as familiar with is the algorithm behind our social media feed Let’s break it down: When you open a social media app, in this example we’ll use Instagram, the app is designed to immediately suck you in. Flashy headlines, entertaining content, and your favorite or most interacted with creators being at the top of your feed, are all examples of the algorithm attempting to trap you within the app. It doesn't just stop there. While within the app, the algorithm has a few goals; to keep you on the app as long as possible and to keep you returning as quickly as possible. When you’re scrolling through Instagram you are constantly being fed information, data, and content that you find interesting, intriguing, or agree with. This means that if you frequently like videos with animals in them, the algorithm will assume you like animal content and continue to give you similar posts This algorithm archetype isn’t just on social media these days, it’s everywhere, from your search engines to your shopping feeds, your digital preferences are well known by your most visited sites. So how does this affect politics?
POLITICS
‘Echo chamber’ and ‘media literacy’ are two terms you may have heard of before. When you’re scrolling through an app, curated specifically for your interests and taste, it's easy to get stuck in an echo chamber of the information you believe. Specifically regarding politics, it’s easy to fall into the trap of only getting fed info pertaining to the political views you agree with According to Pew Research center, currently a little over half the US population says they get their news from social media. When you’re getting your news from an app that is intentionally trying to present you with content you enjoy, it’s easy to see why unbiased reporting can happen. Echo Chamber refers to the phenomenon of constantly being fed news that reinforces your own political beliefs. It is one of the ways US politics can become so dramatically polarized so quickly. This is where the idea of media literacy comes in. Media literacy is the ability to critically analyze stories presented in mass media, to determine their accuracy and credibility Social media has the tendency to present information in quick, rapid fire, flashy ways, lacking actual follow through in accurate information. When presented with inaccurate, biased headlines, and no need for follow through, people’s beliefs can easily become very marginalized or aligned with one ideology without leaving room for other opinions.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
So, views have become increasingly polarized. Why does that matter? For some generations such as Gen Z and Millennials, this is the new normal when it comes to political activities. For other generations however, a notable shift in the way people interact politically has been evident. The power of the internet is that as easy as it is to access all the time, it is also easy to turn off anytime.
In times before social media, people had to sit through all the news broadcasting, or intentionally flip through a newspaper to stay informed. It was harder to simply isolate yourself from events happening. Now, with paper news becoming a dying industry, and televised news source views going down, it’s much easier to keep your head in the sand What this does, is it decreases media literacy, as people aren’t as frequently flexing those skills, and it allows people to remain uninformed When a person actually takes the time to become educated on a matter, due to the algorithm they fall in, chances are they see the issue from one extreme side, without the completely objective facts. This creates a culture of misinformation and a lack of understanding regarding the political process that feeds into voting. Many have found themselves not even knowing what they’re voting for, in regards to what policies and campaign promises actually mean, until after the election results have come out.
TheHarvard-Westlake Chronical
BronxWorks
Newslaundry
WHAT CAN WE DO?
So, what can we do? If everything we see is tailored to us in some way, is there any way to find unbiased reporting? The answer: yes and no. An important thing to note, is that while in the day and age of polarization where even credible news sources have seemed to pick sides, we can always view credible sources from both sides. When looking into an argument, policy passed, or anything regarding politics, make sure to check reliable sources on both sides of the spectrum. This can aid in creating a less marginalized view and allow you to naturally come to your own conclusions about updates within the government.
Another tactic is understanding what makes news sources reliable. Make sure you’re checking the source, the author’s credentials, and the date of the publication to establish its credibility. Many news sources have author blurbs at the end of the article, and a general “Who we are” page easily accessible to the public. These are great resources to better understand where you’re getting your news from. If you are someone who consumes news from social media, similar steps can be taken While you don’t need to follow sources you don’t agree with, make sure you’re taking the time to search for them and understand both sides of the argument Once again, make sure the news sources you are following are credible and accurate.