When I think about news, I think about the article we read in class about refugees from Syria using their phones to connect to Facebook and contact other refugees about the safest route to take. I think about the immediate media coverage of the Paris attacks, I think about Anderson Cooper live on CNN talking about the bombs France dropped on Syria and ISIS's base. Whether I think about it daily or not, news is an incredibly important part of my life. When I'm on my phone on my Tumblr app, I'm seeing news, when I go to my cousin's house and she tells me about some guy that shot himself at the Wexner Center, I'm hearing news. I rely on this information subconsciously. I think everyone does. I think it's a "you don't know what you have until it's gone" kind of situation. If I didn't have news, I think I'd feel lost.
During the summer when I'd watch "Hannibal" on NBC, the 11:00 o'clock local news would come on after and I relied on that. What if the local news didn't come on after my shows? I'd probably just watch more shows, but that's not the point. News is incredibly important to me, and to be able to write about it this semester has been so rewarding. I have grown as a writer because of it and I am infinitely more confident in my writing ability.
This class has definitely helped me develop better writing skills. Before, I would write about news in a way that would often trail off into personal feelings, but now I can look at an article and present the information in a more concise and factual way. Not that I couldn't before, I just wasn't very good at it. So this class has helped me a lot with that, which I am grateful for. I've gotten better acquainted woth different types of articles, too. Before I took this class, I didn't know how to strategically weave quotes into a paragraph, but now I do. I also know how to write an editorial, which is extremely beneficial, because there are a lot of issues that I get worked up about.
So, what is news? News is what keeps us updated, it's what we rely on to keep connected with the rest of the world, it's what we use to spark debates and discussions, it's what causes fights and disagreements, it's what causes awareness and inspires us to take action. News is our way of being one with the rest of the world. Because we all watch the news, right?
Very well done. I'm so excited to see you develop as a writer at 614. I hope this is something you pursue and see that you have a talent. Thanks so much for being my editor. I'm certain I'll get a paper out this year.
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