My generation is growing up in an unprecedented time. With the development of social media and instantaneous communication, there have never been this many ways to follow a presidential election.
As a Gen Z reporter, I feel I have a unique insight into the best way to follow it. I understand the importance of following the election from all angles.
I take pride in coming to work everyday and being part of a newspaper that is printed daily. despite the dying breed of print journalists and the ever-growing rise of new news outlets and mediums.
Instagram, X, Twitch, Tik Tok, Snapchat, and the countless other social media platforms I am forgetting to name are just one way my generation is consuming the news.
Reading print journalism or, more likely, online articles, is another form of election coverage.
There is even a wave of political memes as a way to stay current.
If you’re asking yourself which one of these is the best way to follow this election, use me as an example: The right answer is all of them.
I used all three of these forms of media to study and better understand the vice presidential debate last month between Republican nominee U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio and Democratic nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
During the debate, I sat with my laptop open to X and refreshed the trending page constantly to see the world’s instant reaction to every second. Not all of it was informed dialogue, but it was the seed to provide a full understanding of the debate.
That night and the following morning, I read articles from CNN, The New York Times, and other local publications for a more in-depth coverage of it.
Throughout the following days, I listened to a few podcasts, from the same news sources, to hear a dialogue and analysis of the debate. At the same time, I was inundated with political memes on various social media platforms.
I have never felt more informed about an issue or a topic and that is because I worked hard to expand and diversify how and where I received my information from.
I urge everyone to be informed in this election and use my method as a guide to educate yourself moving forward.
With misinformation and instantaneous reactions to current events, there is no perfect way to consume the news.
But, I urge my generation to take advantage of today’s age of media.
