also @ TechSpot: Weekend Open Forum: Imagining Google's own country

Weekend Open Forum: How do you learn about breaking news?

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On January 6, 2012, 8:00 PM

How we learn about breaking news (world news, catastrophes, local happenings, etc.) has changed drastically over the past hundred years and even more so in the last decade. Scheduled print newspapers, once hailed as the most prominent source of news, have seen a steady decline in readership which was further accelerated by the growth of the Internet. Radio was once a popular medium to find out what’s happening in the world around you but again, popularity waned with the advent of television.

In this day and age, the majority of news gathering comes through the Internet or extensions of it. Social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook allow users to post about events on-site as they happen which can literally spread like wildfire. Online news sites are also a popular choice and television newscasts still garner significant ratings.

With this week’s Weekend Open Forum, we want to know how you learn about breaking news. Also, what was the latest breaking story that caught you completely off-guard and surprised you not only because of its content but by the medium you first heard it from? Discuss.

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User Comments: 42

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  1. The last story that caught my eye was a big Indiana train derailment where more than 100 cars derailed (yesterday). Usually, tho, I get my news from reading the Chicago Tribune's website (we also get the paper but I seldom read it except for computer ads and the tv guide's sports listings), Yahoo's web site, AOL's website, email, and the Chicago Sun TImes' website. Now I'm told the Sun Times will only allow 20 visits to their website in a month. They can shove it.

  2. To rehash, the derailment story I got on tv. The Sun Times requires payment for more than 20 visits in a month.

  3. Radio-in car, TV and internet at home, news feeds at work, sometimes internet radio.

  4. Yahoo

    TV

    Techspot

    word o mouth

    Newspaper

    in game conversations pc gaming

    smoke signals

    I was shocked Michael Jackson died hmm idk where i first saw it.

    @capt Yeah its to bad our new money isn't backed up by gold anymore, they print more out without adding more gold and wonder why the value of the dollar declines. We still have all the same junk in the world we had before the economy went "bad", so our proclaimed dollar value of a object changed, its not like 1\10 of the worlds goods vanished.

  5. Techspot

    CVG (Computer and video games)

    IGNs youtube channel, sometimes the site too

    BBC News website (My fav with its sleek, modern user friendly look)

    BBC news channel

    Sky news HD news channel, although I dislike there "middle class" take on the news,

    Facebook and twitter sometimes.

    sometimes while I am playing games "Did you hear there's been an earthquake in Japan", I heard while playing a FPS on my PS3.

  6. Yahoo

    Techspot

    Torrentfreak

  7. funny!

  8. Aljazeera.com/

  9. By the time I hear about its already old news

  10. World and Local News: local news station

    Politics: talk radio

    Technology/Science: when at home, Techspot. When on the go, I use an app called "Pulse" (an RSS feeder. Subscribed to Techspot, Engadget, CNET, Popular Science, Digital Trends, Gizmodo, Geek.com, and PC World

  11. I stay away from news stories. I don't watch, read or listen to the news. If there's something important enough then people around me will talk about it.

  12. I use Google Desktops Web clips. adding rss feeds etc. example: pcmag.com,pcworld tech news updates,Tech spot, Vimeo.com,computerworld.com,cnn,msnbc.com etc. updates all day displays on my screens sidebar. add what ever u want to keep up with.

  13. Mostly from Tech sites & forums / News (to a lesser extent, as their isn't any news worthy story most of the times anyway) sites, but sometimes from TV as well.

  14. RSS Feeds, Facebook & Twitter

  15. 1) My spouce calls me, 2) Radio, 3) RSS/Email, 4) TV, 5) Internet in general

  16. I listen to the local classic rock station before work and whenever I'm driving. That keeps me at least somewhat informed. Other than that Stumble & Techspot (of course). A few forums I visit semi-regularly help me keep up to date on world news.

    Overall I wouldn't say I'm in the dark, but I don't really pay that much attention to the news tho.

  17. CNN

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