Mariana Fikse encourages news engagement

Despite the constant flow of media in the world, there are countless people who remain apathetic to what they see in the news.

News and journalism play an integral role in society. Without the media, the public would receive a slew of information from random sources that, more likely than not, would not be accurate. Even journalists are sometimes inaccurate, but they are held to a higher standard.

News Engagement Day encourages the public to engage and interact with the news on Oct. 3. The event, put on by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, highlights the need for society to engage and be a part of the world around them.

Unfortunately, many people choose to remain indifferent or apathetic towards news. While they may read articles or watch their local news broadcast, they do nothing in reaction to the information they are receiving.

For example, several tragedies recently rocked the media, such as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma and Mexico’s devastating earthquake. Some people react in a positive way after seeing media coverage of the event by donating money or supplies. However, many others are unstirred to the events. They see them as simply another tragedy and do not feel led to act upon it. 

Only yesterday, the world watched on in horror as a gunman killed over 50 and injured more than 500 others in Las Vegas in the deadliest shooting in modern American history. While many still are reeling from this event, others have already brought up the question of what will be done now?

While the news is meant to inform the public, it also is used as a tool to engage the public. Those who choose to ignore or remain apathetic to the news do themselves more harm than good. Those who realize that being aware of the world around you enriches the experience of living in it, make the decision to engage in their society. — Mariana Fikse

Sometimes, as awful as it sounds, it takes a tragedy to cause a change. Instead of always pointing fingers and using tragedies such as this to further divide the nation, the media should focus on healing and work on uniting the nation, while also looking for solutions to help prevent situations like this from happening in the future.

While the news is meant to inform the public, it also is used as a tool to engage the public. Those who choose to ignore or remain apathetic to the news do themselves more harm than good. Those who realize that being aware of the world around you enriches the experience of living in it, make the decision to engage in their society.

Recently, many media outlets have been criticized for providing inaccurate information. Some people use this as an excuse to brush off the media and not let it have any effect on their lives.

While it is true that not all news outlets are always 100% accurate, it should not be an excuse for people to isolate themselves from current events. It is not difficult to cross-check sources and find out which stories are factual and which ones are biased.

On campus, students on the journalism staff attempt to reach out to the student body in a variety of different ways to attempt to engage them with their peers. However, we as staff members obviously cannot force others to engage with our paper, it is a choice they have to make themselves.

While I have attended FC for four years, I have only been on the journalism staff for three. Before joining The Feather, I remained somewhat apathetic to the news. I didn’t think what the media had to say, whether it be at a national, local or campus level, directly affected my life.

However, during my time on staff, I have grown to understand how becoming engaged with the news meant becoming engaged with your community, and ultimately becoming more connected to the world around you.

For those looking to become more involved in campus activities, the journalism staff is a great way to do just that. Not only will journalism help you engage with your community, it will also build your writing and team skills.

If you are interested in writing for The Feather, feel free to send me an email or talk to me or the other editors on campus. We are always looking for new writers! Leave comments on social media and in articles or send in letters to the editors

For more columns, read COLUMN: Listen to those whose voice is silent. For more homecoming articles, read Monday’s recap: Homecoming for Humanity: ‘Merica Monday.

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