This article has been edited for length and clarity.

Kate Gale, College third-year:

I do. Because I think it is kind of — the first word that popped up in my head was it’s my duty. I like to know what’s going on in the world so I can do my part, but also so I can be a citizen. I feel like it’s important to be able to know what’s going on and speak for those who can’t. It interests me, too, even if it’s silly news. I like to be in the know generally.  

Indigo Stephens, double degree fourth-year:

I read some news-y articles, but I never watch the news besides hate-watching Fox for entertainment. I love to see how ridiculously they spin the truth and get hip to the cutting-edge conservative talking points and critique them. I feel like the liberal media just fearmongers and doesn’t keep issues in proportion. I don’t need to get my news from there. I get that from social media, activists I’m friends with on the front lines, and further research. 

I’m still searching for a truly unbiased news source. In capitalism, everything you publish as news has several motives: being shocking enough to sell and supporting your friends’ agenda. Left or right, actually telling the truth would put you out of business as a news agency. I also feel like the degree I am informed should be related to the degree I can make change, but right now, I’m so focused on taking care of my own business, I don’t even know if I need to be super informed. I feel like sharing the mutual aid posts and celebrating cases of Indigenous land rights being respected by governments, like in Brazil, or bringing attention to Indigenous land rights being overlooked, like with Stop Cop City, are as informed as I need to be to make the most efficient impact I know how to right now, which is using my platform. 

I have read many conservative and liberal news articles about Stop Cop City, for example, and none tell me as much as the activists on the front lines on Instagram and TikTok. To me, as an activist and steward of the Earth, my priority is protecting Indigenous — as in Indigenous American, South American, Canadian, and African — land, culture, language, spirituality, and philosophy, and questioning billionaires’ power. Many people don’t realize how many billionaires own and influence news on the right and left. News today isn’t really made to empower the citizens to take action, just inspire us to be afraid, panic, and hate the other side, all while someone profits from this.

Max Julius, College first-year:

“Not really” is the answer. Sometimes I read physical news when it’s sitting around. I have skimmed through it, but I don’t really read it. First off, I like the media, but most social media — I get its inherent value, and I like to connect with people — but I also feel like it’s not worth my time. In a way, with the news, I feel like there’s a lot of value in it, but also I feel like there are things that are more valuable for me to pursue. Like doing my homework or creating opportunities for myself. And, sometimes, I feel like reading the news doesn’t give me the time to do what I like to do.

Angel Ma, College first-year: 

Yes and no. I feel like I read more science-related news than politics-related news. And also, I’m international, so I actually don’t read a lot of U.S. news. I like reading more about my country.