My Important Sources #1

Whenever I want to go and prove someone wrong, my immediate reaction is to pull out my phone and look up the facts. Although looking up answers on your phone is quick and easy, it's not always the most reliable with the information it gives you. That's why I double and triple check from different outlets to see if the info is accurate. While fact checking, there are a few places I always search first. 

#1. High Point Libraries

 https://www.highpoint.edu/library/  

High Point University offers so many opportunities to find academic articles, journals, books, and websites. For any type of research project or any instance, I have to make sure that my source is credited and approved by HPU. This website is mostly if not all for the use of academic progression, so the number of options for the type of news accessible here is limited. With hundreds of journals written by professors and respected professionals, there is always information to gather for schoolwork. 

#2. NASA.gov

https://www.nasa.gov/ 

While I don't get a lot fo my news from NASA, I do look to their platforms to gauge if information about the outer world is true or not. Space peaks my interest mostly because we know so little about it to start. This causes wide misinformation and fake news to pop up all the time. Whether it's a post I see online or some conspiracy news I hear about, this is the first place I check to confirm information. My thought process is if the organization who leads space exploration either confirms or denies news, they probably know better than anyone else.

#3. YouTube Videos

https://www.youtube.com/

Youtube is one of those platforms where you have to be very careful what keywords you look up while researching. One second you're watching a video on your topic and the next thing you know you're watching a video on how bubble gum is made. All great information but not all useful. There is little confirmation if the info you are getting from YouTube is correct because of the one way creator to audience layout. Once you know who is reliable and who's not, videos are displayed in easy to digest content that's easily understandable. 

#4. ".org" Websites 

If I am ever questioned about a topic and I am not sure what the right answer is, the first thing that I'll do every time is go into my phone and google the information. While scrolling through the endless links and tabs available, I always keep an eye out for websites that end in ".org". With a website handle that ends with .org means It's a nonprofit working towards some goal. Most campaigns in the nonprofit realm are the ones working the closest to the specific issue, who in turn has the most to say about it. Although this is ideal for gathering one sides story, they only tell the half truth. Being able to recognize their positioning and framing is crucial to understanding the real issue.

#5. ESPN

https://www.espn.com/

ESPN is the leader in sports news for North America and Most of Canada. I check this source on the daily weather its their website, instagram, twitter, and all of their partner networks. they work very closely with each professional sports leagues, understanding each teams news, rumors, and stories. As they have regional teams in every major city in the US, they are the most reliable source in the sports world. I personally look at ESPN for any trade rumors, scores, updates on players, injuries, trades, really anything sports related is on ESPN.