5 Ways to Diversify Your News Sources
Updated: Sep 29
It's Media Literacy Monday! In this series, we share tips and insights on finding good information and understanding key media literacy skills. |
1. By geography
Subscribe to your local newspaper.
Read both national and international news.
2. By medium
To avoid the influence of perspective-limiting algorithms, find news on a different social media platform or get off social media altogether.
Try out a new-to-you news delivery method. If you usually watch cable news, add in some online news articles or a print magazine. You could also listen to the radio or a podcast.
3. By political bias
Partial to right-leaning outlets? Use media bias charts to add in reliable outlets that are rated in the center or to the left. (Or vice versa!)
Seek out opinion articles by people with differing viewpoints on the same topic.
4. By topic
Check out a section you don’t read often. More into music and pop culture? Spend some time on the opinion page. Love sports? Also look at business and politics.
For specialized information turn to specialized media outlets, such as science, medical, political, or legal magazines.
5. By race, ethnicity, orientation, religion, ability, or cultural background
Look for media outlets that center the voice of people of other races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, religions, disabilities, and cultural backgrounds.
Investigate whether your favorite media outlets are committed to hiring a diverse group of journalists. Encourage those that fall short.
By consuming a diverse cross-section of media outlets, you can better verify the credibility of media reports and identify biases. You will also gain a broader understanding of issues that are impacting people across the country and world.
Be a conscious consumer. Diversify your media diet.
Sources:
News Literacy Project: "Expand your view with lateral reading"
Lake Forest Library: "How and why to read more diversely"
