Internet serves up balanced news diet

We live in rapidly changing times.

These days, business and leisure activities are migrating online in droves.

Computers and the internet aren't new - they have been around for years.

But we are living in a period when the paradigm has really started to shift.

For example, most people today get their news not from traditional media but from the internet.

According to a poll I conducted with friends and family in May, 76 per cent of people use the internet as their primary news source, 8 per cent go to newspapers and 16 per cent rely on television.

There are many reasons why the internet is a great gateway to news.

Online news is easy to access and mostly free.

News can be pushed out to users as it breaks, and relevant articles are easy to search for and locate.

Another important reason for its popularity, however, is that it provides a diverse range of viewpoints.

This gives us an appreciation of unfolding events from an unbiased perspective.

Newspaper readers traditionally are exposed to a limited range of views.

As the internet has exploded and continues to grow, the range of standpoints available about global and local events has increased dramatically.

It is not just big media outfits that are pumping out articles online.

A legion of blogs and opinion pieces written by clued-up professionals and global citizens have emerged.

These offer fresh views on unfolding current events.

The problem with traditional news outlets is their bias - they send out messages that pertain to only a certain part of society or represent a clouded view of circumstances.

This contrasts with blogs and online articles by people with specialist knowledge, which are often composed with more open-minded and inquisitive tones.

In my survey, respondents had varied opinions on the relevance and authenticity of this citizen journalism.

Some questioned its bias, others didn't read these sources at all and others enjoyed their unique character and viewpoint.

My view is that they offer flair in an often otherwise bland news scene, and provide enriching angles on global happenings.

In the midst of talk of different viewpoints and types of journalism, a question must be posed.

How are published messages changing, and how are we affected by them?

Take coverage of KFC's new Double Down burger, for instance.

Most coverage was negative.

Yet the publicity raised awareness of the new product, no doubt encouraging people to sample it.

Such is the effect of the media.

They can sway public opinion, completely befuddle people, or open us up to the rapidly changing world.

In the end the presence of the media on the internet is a double-edged sword - they bring conflicting opinions and contrasting viewpoints.

But all the blogs, opinion pieces and different online news agencies offer a rich smorgasbord of information that ultimately leads to a well-rounded understanding of happenings.

And in the end, that is what we want - a balanced awareness of the events of the world around us.

Matthew Flower, Year 9, Kristin School