There are various ways to learn about what is happening in the world today. Whether people learn from a news site, what people say on social media, or from others, the way the information is presented can affect how it is perceived. The relevance to MHHS lies in one important question: how do the students of Mission Hills High School learn about the news, and how does it affect their perception?
“I like to watch the news channel, Reuters, because it’s unbiased, and it is straight to the point. I know I can rely on this channel for precise information about current events,” said freshman Belen Novelo.
Novelo is a student who likes to make sure she sees an unbiased perspective on whatever news she consumes. For example, when she first learned of the Israel-Palestine War, she did further research on it to make sure she was informed on all angles of the topic. It’s important for people to be informed with all the different perspectives on things, especially for controversial current events.
“I usually think that looking into things [is] important since one could be opinion, while the other is actually news,” said freshman Talia Roberts.
Roberts always makes sure to be aware of misinformation, especially on social media. She typically learns about the news from friends, and will often later read more into it from multiple news sources to find all the information out there. This approach is also helpful for distinguishing false information from the truth.
“I know that many news companies spread different information about vaccines which can lead to misinformation,” said senior Cole Khayat, in reference to the falsities that went around about the COVID-19 vaccines from about three years ago.
False messages can spread very easily, especially when a topic is still fresh and even controversial. Khayat says that misinformation is likely created by multiple sources coming out with different information at once due to them wanting to capitalize on its recency. The conflicting information can mash together to create something completely different from the truth. This is why it’s so important to look into things that are new and controversial so that one can know the truth.
Everybody should know how to navigate the news in a way that doesn’t allow them to fall prey to misinformation or only hear from one biased source. The student body of Mission Hills should also engage in the news, so it can create people who understand others’ perspectives and are always seeking out the truth.
