Why no one wants to pay attention to CNN and FOX News

Picture curtesy of Pixabay

For the majority of people under the age of 18, engaging in news outlets is not at the top of the priority list. Oftentimes it is hard for me to stay engaged with news based media outlets simply because that is just not what I am interested in hearing about. However, because I moved to a different state for college, and I am old enough to have a say in who represents me in the government, I have started to recognize the importance of being educated and staying up to date with current events. 

Before I was able to find news outlets that I enjoyed, I really struggled finding one that fit what I was looking for. Majority of the accessible media outlets are plagued with bias and come off as aggressive, which can deter young readers from engaging with that media. For example, the most widely accessible and well known news outlets are CNN and FOX News, however they are also the two most biased and aggressive news based media outlets. 

Personally, my favorite news outlets include The New York Times, The New Republic, and The Washington Post. Although some of those outlets could be considered biased, they don’t outwardly project that towards its audience, and it’s a lot easier to consume when you’re not very familiar with news based media outlets. Most of the time, outlets such as the ones listed don’t just exclusively post about politics and news, they often offer other articles about pop culture, music, and other things that many young people are interested in. For example, this evening I enjoyed reading a Washington Post article about the fashion looks that appeared at the 2024 Oscars. Articles like these keep me coming back to read their actual news articles, not just their pop culture features. 

Another important aspect of staying educated is paying attention to local news. Personally, my favorite local news outlet is the Oklahoman. I really like The Oklahoman because it is simple and easy to read and doesn’t feature any bias. I however, may be slightly biased because one of my favorite professors writes for The Oklahoman. 

In my opinion, news outlets that specialize in news and politics need to make a drastic adjustment to who their target audiences are. Unfortunately the older generations have started to decrease in number to put it lightly, and news outlets are still catering to them like they’re going to be around forever. What they should do is exercise tactics that will get the attention of younger generations to get them to listen and gain an education on world, domestic, and local politics.