So, I watched the inauguration.  I didn’t really want to, but it’s history, as my mother told me, and mother knows best.

Just so we’ll be clear, I don’t like Trump.  Also, I don’t pretend to be any kind of political expert.  Because I’m mostly tired of hearing and speaking about Trump, but now we really have to, here are my reactions to his speech in bullet form:

• His speech was all about America.  Obviously, as President of the US, it should be.  But, he also implied that the US is the most important country in the world.  While there is no denying that it is highly important as a global power, I feel that he completely dismissed the importance of literally all other countries, and by extension, the people who inhabit them.
• He seems to think that helping or even being involved with other countries equals harming the US.  I completely disagree.  From an economic perspective, helping other countries develop and therefore become richer benefits the US because it means they have the power to buy and sell from and to us, which over time increases our own GDP.  I realize that the US as a whole, in trying to “help” other countries, hasn’t always been the most helpful.  However, I think it is prudent to maintain an attitude of mutual benefit.  No man is an island, and countries (metaphorically speaking) aren’t, either.
• He mentioned that he was going to eradicate Islamic terrorism.  While not a bad sentiment, I think this wording showed his skewed worldview.  The terrorist groups that claim Islam are not recognized as truly Islamic by the vast majority of Muslims.  I’m all for ending terrorism, but I’m definitely against perpetuating xenophobia.
• His speech really was more of a campaign speech than an inaugural address.  I watched NBC’s live stream of the ceremony, and the reporters noted that some of the paragraphs were verbatim from campaign speeches.  I’m not sure if that means he is too inexperienced/doesn’t care enough to prepare a real inaugural address, or if he is so insecure in his support that he still feels he must garner it.
• The NBC reporters also noted that he kind of insulted all the former presidents with him on the podium as well as the Republican senators.  I agree, because he implied that the government has completely failed in most respects.  I’m not saying it did or didn’t, but the way he put his views was quite tactless.  Although let’s be honest — he’s not known for tact.

That’s all the thoughts I have on that.  Stay tuned till Thursday for a much more enjoyable discussion on coffee culture.  Or read on if you feel like talking about Twitter and news.

So, Twitter.

It took me awhile to get into Twitter.  I don’t use it the same way I use Instagram or Facebook.  While those are ways to keep up with people I actually know, I use Twitter to get my news.  I don’t have cable, so I don’t watch televised news much, and I barely have enough time to read the books I need to for school, let alone various news sites.  So Twitter it is.

Here’s a breakdown of what I follow:

• Business/entrepreneurship journals
• Local TV stations, radio stations, and newspapers from my hometown and college town
• Local police and emergency services accounts
• Major US newspapers — Wall Street Journal, NY Times, etc.
• Various BBC accounts
• Celebrities
• Bloggers

As far as news goes, I normally scroll through and read tweets and headlines, and I’ll read the articles I think are most important or that have to do with my hometown.  If several separate sources are writing about the same thing, I try to pay attention.  I’m also guilty of scrolling past stuff I don’t want to see, because let’s be honest — news is usually depressing.  I also try to pick and choose somewhat strategically what articles I click on, because most newspapers will only let non-subscribers view so many articles a month.  I try to save those free ones for important stuff.

Yesterday, someone mentioned something along the lines of, “That’s the danger of getting your news from Twitter.”  I don’t remember why they said it (I should probably pay more attention).  But it made me wonder why some people feel that way, because I think Twitter is a pretty good place to get news.

First, for my part, I follow well-known, established news sources.  I know journalists can never be completely objective, but to work for such established organizations means to follow ethical and objective journalistic standards to the best of your ability.  I tend to believe the best of the general population, and don’t think that a professional journalist would willingly jeopardize their career by reporting nonsense.  Readers do need to read critically, of course, but it is in everyone’s best interest for journalists to report objectively.

Second, I don’t just scroll through headlines.  When I see something important, I read the article to get the available details.  If I have time, I’ll read about the same event from another source.  I don’t do this all the time, of course, but I know that getting information from more than one source is preferable.

Finally, even if Twitter is not the best source of news, I would still rather stay updated through Twitter than not make an attempt to stay updated at all.  I try to be a good citizen (4H drilled that into me) and staying informed is one of the best ways to do that.  Until I make enough money to have cable and newspaper and magazine subscriptions, I’m going to keep using Twitter.

How do you get your news?  What’s your opinion on Twitter as a news source?