News sourcing and validation are crucial to staying informed

We are in an age where you cannot afford to lag in information and just as it is noted, 'information is power'. There are of course many ways to get information and I will be sharing my personal experiences with you.

At least, towards the tail end of last year when I used to switch on my small 22-inch television in my room to listen to breakfast news every morning, 7 a.m. where three major sections are held: news on the hour, newspaper reviews, and discussion segments of pertinent issues. I loved the former two and unless the topic of discussion was interesting, I take a pass on it. Here, I get to access breaking news which I am certain is reliable and less traumatizing when compared to news on other social media that may be masked with falsehood. News from this source often does not require verification even though I feel a bias or tempering on the full disclosure since they are civil servants that must protect the image of the government. Yet, I am confident about the credibility of disclosures on the breakfast show.

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Some years ago, I grew up in a home where my father enjoyed watching the 9 pm news on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and this is very relatable in many Nigerian homes except probably there have been alternatives both for our parents and even ourselves. But then, seems I see the reason why they sat to watch the news after the day's hectic work.

My workplace knows me well to always pick the dailies to peruse for news on the hour. This happens unconsciously as I know I cannot get all the details from the TV breakfast show or may have missed out totally on it. Thus, I can have a reasonable grasp of what the newscasters may have left out, usually, they give just the briefs and expect you to pick the dailies of choice for more in-depth reading. I enjoy getting informed about my environment, especially how it would affect me as an individual.

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Equally, I access news from radio stations by tuning to the stereo while driving. I enjoy the way newscasters present their news on the stereo as it attracts me to always listen to them. I believe their news is often genuine as they pick from the national dailies. Nonetheless, I take the extra step to find multiple and relatable topics on the same subject matter for comparison and validation. This way, I am not left in the dark of the actual and ensure the information I am passing to another is genuine and legitimate.

My first point of update is Twitter. The breaking news would likely be trending there as Nigerians do not take the back seat when discussing breaking news. You would likely see it as TRENDING and can be able to follow the trend to have ideas & insights, and perhaps, pictorial evidence. Another infrequently visited site for verification of news is Nairaland. I know a sizeable number of Nigerians have heard about the platform. Here, I get answers to many questions asked and it relatively provides near responses to what I am looking for.

Thank you for reading. I would love to have your comments and contributions.

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