How Digital Media Reports The 2020 Presidential Election
We’re late into the year 2019 and the political world is brewing. The main event is more than a year away, but we’re entering into the thick of the next presidential election. I follow the election build-up and the multitude of candidates as they are reported on by television, internet websites, printed literature, and social media. I don’t spend a lot of time reading physical newspapers, such as those found in my local coffee shop, but I love to scan the headlines and articles for verification. I do read books that are released by prominent candidates, but the amount and frequency tend to be limited.
The bulk of the presidential election content I digest comes directly from the internet. I spend time on polling sites like FiveThirtyEight where I follow the democratic primary candidates, specifically the day to day fluctuations in their popularity. In addition, I regularly scan the polls to view the current President’s approval rating throughout his term. I follow the presidential election through various forms of television news, primarily garnering information from CNN, Fox, MSNBC, and local news channels. I find televised news sources difficult to follow as they are largely biased and infuriating.
Where I almost exclusively find myself gathering presidential election information is on media channels on YouTube, specifically CNN, MSNBC, and my favorite The Young Turks. Other channels often include the Rational National, Brian Tyler Cohen, The Damage Report, Rebel HQ, and even The Late Show With Stephen Colbert (etc.). Recommendations often refer me to other conflicting news sources and content that include Fox News. I am reluctant to admit that YouTube is a primary source of presidential election news, but the smaller doses of personalized content are more easily digestible, sometimes to a fault.
Hopefully, this course’s learning materials help and enlighten me to a more robust election information-gathering experience.
