Navigating the Noise: Trust, Bias, and the News I Follow

I spend a lot of time thinking about people, stories, culture, and the way information moves between all of them. That is probably why anthropology and journalism make so much sense together for me. Both are, in different ways, about paying attention: to people, to systems, to what is being said, and sometimes to what is being left out.

I did not exactly plan on ending up at Linn-Benton Community College. I more or less landed here, and I got incredibly lucky that where I landed happened to put me so close to a college that has given me so many opportunities.

I am studying anthropology and journalism, with additional interests in sociology and political science.

Eventually, I would love to work in human rights or investigative journalism, particularly work connected to NGOs, international organizations, or even the United Nations. A lot of my interests overlap around the same basic idea: I want to understand people, cultures, systems, and the stories we tell about all of them.

That is also a big part of what interests me about media and culture.

I want to learn more about how we actually reach people. We have access to more information than ever, but that does not necessarily mean we are better informed. Sometimes it feels like the opposite. There is a constant stream of headlines, notifications, videos, commentary, breaking news, and whatever the algorithm has decided deserves our attention that day.

I am especially interested in how people can stay informed and engaged without completely burning themselves out. I also want to keep up with new technology, platforms, and media trends because the way people find and consume information is constantly changing. Journalism has to understand those changes while still figuring out how to reach people in meaningful and responsible ways.

Outside of college, I am an artist and poet. I paint, write, photograph, and spend probably too much time wandering through galleries and museums whenever I get the chance. I also help manage a local community plant group called Linn-Benton Plant Corner, where we organize plant-related events and activities. I love hiking, exploring, festivals, cultural events, and almost anything involving art, history, culture, or going somewhere I have never been before.

When it comes to the information I consume, my three main news sources are Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, and BBC News. I also regularly read the Associated Press, CNN, NPR, The Washington Post, and BNO News.

I generally lean left, especially on social issues, but I try not to build my entire news diet around sources that already agree with me. I prefer outlets that are closer to the center, while still reading coverage from both sides of center when I can. If a story is especially important or controversial, I usually read multiple versions of it. Seeing how different outlets frame the same event can sometimes be just as informative as the facts themselves.

I consider my main sources highly reliable, but I also do not think a news organization should automatically be trusted just because its name is familiar. I use media reliability tools such as Ad Fontes Media to see how different outlets and individual articles are rated for both reliability and political bias. It gives me another reference point beyond my own assumptions about a source.

That has become even more important with AI-generated content, deepfakes, misinformation, and how quickly false or misleading information can spread online.

I am definitely concerned about misinformation, but I try not to respond to that by assuming everything I see is fake. Instead, I research before I share something, whether that is online or just in conversation. I check the original source, see whether other reliable outlets are reporting the same thing, look for evidence behind major claims, and consider the bias or framing of the source before I form an opinion.

I also try to be aware of my own bias. It is very easy to accept something without questioning it when it already fits what you believe.

For me, staying informed is less about finding one perfect source and trusting it completely. It is about comparing information, asking questions, checking where claims came from, and being willing to change my opinion when the evidence points somewhere else.

In a media environment where almost anyone can publish something instantly, consuming information is the easy part.

Learning how to question it is much more important.