Top 5 news sources

My Top 5 News Sources

1. TikTok

While not the most credible, TikTok is where people tend to post the most about the government, and where I see updates most frequently. I am able to see information about the economy, the government, law enforcement officers, and the president all in one unique place of short but informative videos. There are credible news sources that can be seen but also some news sources are simply wrong; the exposure helps form my opinion. It's not an app that I would necessarily quote but it is important to get frequent mixed opinions/ information.

2. Google 

Like many other people, Google is my most-used browser where it's looking up research or questions about something I have, or even when doing work. Google always has so much readily available, but you do have to check where your sources come from and whether they're legitimate. I always recommend Googling something instead of opening your mouth and being wrong because Google is just so good for anything you want to know. 

3. YouTube 

I use YouTube the most out of any social platform in a web browser or even on a phone. I don't necessarily watch politics all the time on YouTube, but it's just so damn good at looking into things and researching. I am always able to see my interests, but also see interviews, clips, essays, and much more relating to what interests me. It's also good for learning something cause it's auditory and visual, which is super helpful for someone like me who has an easier time retaining information visually. Now I don't always take whatever I see seriously, but there are credible sources and lots of ability to cross-examine different sources. 

4. Instagram

Now you have to be careful with this one because Meta isn't very good at regulating this app, whether it's their choice or not. All of it comes down to the posts you interact with and the feed that you make for yourself. An example is: I love F1 and racing, and it's THE place for me to see updates about stuff like that because I've cultivated that feed myself. I've also followed politics, memes, etc on the app that can expose me to different information, credible or not. It's a good place to see updates about what's going on in the world as well, since most news Instagram accounts are very active, but you should have backups since a lot of the information is biased, so you have to decide for yourself what you think about what you see. 

5. X (Twitter)

I don't use X as frequently, but when it comes to real-world topics and interests, it does a pretty good job. Since it's so easy to use the app, anyone can make a whole journalism account and post about what they think or see. I don't try to use it as much for politics because it's almost like a rabbit hole, but for interests like space exploration, gaming, etc it's really cool and credible. Because almost every journalist and politician has an account, it's so easy to stay informed and see opinions on whatever topic you want to interact with. 

Eight values of free expression

 

A place where the First Amendment can be tested

    I'm deciding to look at the fifth value of free expression, checking on governmental power or the function of the First Amendment.  This one resonates and is important to me because I see it frequently on my social media of someone testing their limits of the First Amendment. Whether it's a police officer, a politician, or just some regular person, everyone has a phone that they can record with at any time and of anything in a public space. This also extends to people using their phone to go into the Capitol and film whatever is happening or interacting in public spaces like hallways or conference rooms. This is related to Balsi's idea of checking the value of the First Amendment. In his journal, he states, "The value that free speech, a free press, and free assembly can serve in checking the abuse of power by public officials.(p. 527)" This is important to say because now more than ever we are able to check government power, and it isn't only through news channels or professional journalists. Anyone who simply has a phone can record any government official in public that no one has seen and post it, which shows potentially millions of people. A good example of this is during ICE raids or stops where someone in the distance can record the interaction and post it online, which provides a new angle the public can see. 

ICE stop where agents recorded on a civilian's phone

    A specific example is the Minnesota ICE shooting, where civilian bystanders started filming the interaction and caught valuable insight into the situation that people didn't see before. In a lot of ways, nothing can be done by the government other than censorship of the post, which has happened to people commenting on ICE situations, but not only ICE or police, but also criticism of Trump.

    This does bring up another issue and that is that sometimes people don't know they are in trouble when they film; for example, there was this content creator on TikTok who would film inside the Capitol Building, filming congresspeople and senators. He would ask them questions about government decisions relating to the Israel-Palestine conflict, with legal borderline harassment. Even though it was funny, he would get into trouble because there were certain places he couldn't film, and those are the ones that he tried to stay away from. He would wait in hallways and common areas before meetings, which are public spaces in the Capitol, but he couldn't go into or film in offices or meeting spaces. I can't provide a link because I believe he got banned for his content, which most likely violates some sort of TOS, but maybe it's also censorship from the government because he would catch some nasty interactions. Even though he was seen as annoying, the fact that he was able to post stuff at the time and get millions of views was really valuable because the average person can't go to the Capitol to see these decisions being made. It also shows that public officials can be seen and criticized at any time by anyone, which is really important for the value of the First Amendment.

     Balsi's theory highlights something important, and that is that someone like this journalist could be an asshole, wrong, or annoying in some people's eyes, but it doesn't make it unimportant to the general use of the Amendment. The value of having the ability to criticize government officials, I believe, is super important because you can't always trust news organizations, but I also think it's better for the public to see these videos and decide for themselves what they think instead of having nothing at all. In the end, being able to check governmental power stands out to me because technology, which I'm around a lot, has made information about the government easily accessible to me almost every day, which is important for our democracy. It's also become more relevant as it has added another check to the government by the governed. 

Supreme Court Reflection

Our Supreme Court is the most powerful on earth

Inside the U.S. Supreme Court: What I Learned

Before watching this video, I mostly thought about the Supreme Court in terms of individual justices and their public reputations. After learning more about how the Court actually works, I came away with a much deeper appreciation for the institution as a whole and the role it plays in the United States.

One of the first things that stood out to me was just how much work the Court receives each year. Thousands of petitions arrive annually, yet only about 100 cases are fully reviewed. I was surprised by that number because I assumed it would be much higher. It really shows how selective the Court has to be when deciding which cases deserve its attention.

I also learned that the cases reaching the Supreme Court have already been decided by lower courts. The justices then meet to determine which cases they will hear. The process seems highly structured, with different levels of influence and authority shaping decisions as a case moves through the system.

Current Supreme Court Justices

The video highlighted the Court's unique position in American government. Everything it does is based on interpreting the Constitution, making it one of the most powerful judicial bodies in the world. The justices are appointed by the president, and those appointments can have a major impact on the direction of the Court for years to come.

Another interesting topic was the Court's history. I learned about John Marshall and the famous case Marbury v. Madison, which helped establish the Court's authority. The video also discussed significant moments in the Court's past, including the Dred Scott decision and later developments involving voting rights and due process.

The most surprising fact for me was that the Supreme Court originally operated in the basement of the Capitol rather than in its own building. That was something I had never heard before.

My biggest takeaway is that the Supreme Court follows a detailed process designed to handle cases as fairly as possible. More importantly, the video changed the way I think about the Court. Instead of focusing only on individual justices, I now see it as a larger institution with a long history, a complex process, and a significant responsibility in shaping the nation.