My Personal Top 5 News Sources

Say what you will about news in the modern day, but one thing that can be praised about is the wide variety of choice we as regular people are provided. There are literal thousands of choices in front of us, between various mainstream outlets like Fox News and MSNBC, or social media apps like Facebook and Twitter/X. Maybe you have a favorite commentator on Youtube or Instagram that you'll listen to while you eat breakfast. All this choice is nice, but can be somewhat overwhelming if you're not sure of who's actually reliable and truthful. So, if you're looking for some inspiration, or just are curious about where I'm usually getting my information, here are my top 5 go-to news sources. 

5) Instagram

As far as just hearing about things that are happening, Instagram is just really good. Granted, for in depth analyses and nuanced conversation I would proceed with caution, but for what the app is, I don't really hold that against it. After all, it isn't a dedicated news app - it's social media. When I'm starting my day, or I'm in between classes, or am winding down after the day is over, I'll usually briefly check Instagram just to see if anything is going on. After all, the way I heard about the capture of Maduro, the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and the results of the last two elections were through Instagram posts. Again, it should be stressed that this is a decent source, but this should not be your only source. 

4) Word of Mouth/Talking to my friends

There are plenty of days where maybe I've checked social media and other news apps, but something goes over my head or I wasn't paying close enough attention. It's a good thing then, that I'm lucky enough to have friends who want to talk to me about things. One of the most common conversation starters I find myself using (right behind telling friends about something that happened to me) is, "Hey, did you hear about ______?". Especially if it's a less important or breaking story, casually talking with friends about what's happening is, in my opinion, one of life's best simple pleasures. If you don't already talk to your friends about current events, even non-political topics if you're not one for politics, I would highly recommend starting. 

3) The Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal is great for more in depth analyses of specific issues. If you follow them closely, they are also great for hearing about current events as they happen. They are more focused towards economic and business issues, so if you're looking for more coverage of social issues and commentary, you'll come up a bit short. Despite that, what is covered is usually comprehensive and offers a lot of insight that you might not normally glean. I would feel that I'm being slightly misleading if I didn't mention that you have pay a subscription in order to read much of their content, which is, bluntly - not great. It's not an abnormally high payment amount, but it is mandatory for most (if not all) of their content.   

2) Reuters

Contrasting with The Wall Street Journal, Reuters offers mostly surface level coverage of news for free. Though the words "surface level" are somewhat misleading - it is quality surface level coverage. It gives you a blanket understanding of what's happening, who's involved, and not much else, which makes it great for just getting the point if you're in a hurry or are busy like me. They stand mostly in the political center, just by the nature of their matter-of-fact style, and to boot, you can read their articles for free. 

1) Ground News 

Finally, standing above the rest in my opinion, Ground News is a news aggregator that pulls thousands of stories and sorts them by topic, allowing you to see how different sources cover issues. They are free to use with options for subscriptions if users want extra features. I personally haven't found another service that does what they do quite as well, and it is always the first place I go when I hear about a new breaking story. It is tailored for an audience that wants more out of the news, and if that isn't you, I don't think looking into them is required. However, if that is you, and you're tired of narrow viewpoints, I can't recommend them enough.