Week 1 Blog

Topic 1

Hi, my name is Ryan van Eckhardt, and I'm originally from California. I moved to Oregon to be closer to my family. This fall, I hope to join the Phlebotomy program and eventually finish my AA degree. One of my main goals in this class is to improve my media literacy. In today’s world, we are constantly bombarded with information, and I want to be able to distinguish between real news and fake news so I can make more informed decisions.

Outside of college, I'm passionate about sports. I love watching Football, Basketball, and Baseball, but I’ll tune in to almost anything competitive, including golf, soccer, F1, and hockey. Being from the San Francisco Bay Area, my favorite teams are the Warriors, 49ers, and Giants. I used to be a fan of the A's and Raiders, but after they moved, I’ve disowned them. It’s all about loyalty!

Topic 2
My three main sources are Twitter (X), Instagram, and occasionally KATU News or ABC World News. I use Twitter because it provides real-time updates on a wide range of topics, from sports to breaking news, and I can follow experts and organizations directly. Instagram is another go-to for visual content, including highlights from events or news stories. KATU and ABC News can offer a more traditional and in-depth approach to current events, especially when I want to get a clearer picture of the news beyond the headlines.

When it comes to reliability, I consider Twitter and Instagram to be hit-or-miss. While you can follow credible sources, both platforms are often flooded with misinformation. On the other hand, I trust KATU and ABC News more, as they are established news sources with professional standards for fact-checking and reporting.

With how much fake news, deep fakes, and misinformation there is out there, I'm definitely concerned about the media ecosystem. It can be hard to know what to trust, especially with the speed at which information spreads online. Before I believe or share something i try to verify it by cross checking it with another media source.

After watching Eli Pariser's TED Talk on social media platforms' obligations to the greater good, I think he makes an important point about how algorithms prioritize engagement over the truth. Social media platforms, like Twitter and Instagram, have a responsibility to control the spread of misinformation, but I also believe users need to take more responsibility for the content they share. For me, social media platforms should be more transparent about their algorithms and make efforts to reduce the spread of fake news.