Malachi’s Articles

Story 1

A string of major aircraft incidents all across the world in the last few months has garnered the attention of the public. Two of the most significant of these incidents occurred on December 29, when a Jeju Air flight crashed while attempting to land in South Korea, killing 179 on board. And on January 29, when a commercial flight collided mid-air with a military helicopter over the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., killing 67.
Many people already have a fear of flying, but these recent crashes have made it worse for some. Camilla Garcia, 20, of Sauk City, flew to Mexico in January to see family. She felt nervous after seeing aircraft crash coverage on social media.
“It was all over my TikTok,” she said. “I was seeing so many videos about plane crashes right before my flight. I almost decided not to go, but I couldn’t refund my ticket.”
She said that her anxiety on the flight was so bad she cried as the plane took off and landed.
Other Wisconsin locals believe the increased concern is unwarranted. Ken Nielsen, 73, of Rice Lake has spent decades working in airports across the U.S. for the Department of Homeland Security and has been on hundreds of flights. He believes the recent crashes have been sensationalized by the media.
“[Airplane] crashes are in the news more, but that doesn’t mean there’s more of them happening than usual,” he said. “It seems like there are so many on the news now because that’s what’s getting the most attention these days.
He explained that there is a much higher chance of being killed in a car accident than in a plane crash. He claims planes are only getting safer every year because of the development of safety equipment and testing. He also credits the drastic increase in airport security after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
While passengers may worry about flying, airline workers take extensive measures to prevent any incidents from happening. Hayden Millheam, 21, a student at Western Michigan University is studying Aviation Technical Operations. He will soon graduate to become an aircraft mechanic.
“Every aircraft needs regular maintenance. Even the small issues like loose screws and broken lights need to be fixed before a flight, he said.
He explained that the recent plane crashes weren’t because of poor maintenance, claiming them to be mostly freak accidents.
Despite the increase in media coverage and anxiety involving planes in recent months, aircraft accidents are a rare occurrence and shouldn’t discourage those who wish to travel.

Online Journalism Structures

Being a journalist today is much different than it was in pre-social media times. The ease of access to the internet and billions of other people have made the spread of information quicker than ever before. Anyone who spreads any type of information can very loosely be called a journalist. But “real” journalists are the ones who get paid to do it, in my opinion. They are the ones who have a reputation and are associated with well known media companies. They might even be independent. There a few accounts on Twitter, for example, that are known to reliably report on sports news before larger media covers it. I would consider them journalists. Access to the internet 24/7 has made reporting and receiving news nearly instantaneous. There are still printed news publications today, but they are far more limited in their demographic than anything on the internet. Legacy media has had to adapt, and I believe they always will.

Your Digital Self

The news that I’m mainly interested in is local stuff because that’s what affects my day-to-day life the most. I like to stay updated on larger issues too, particularly topics like technology and entertainment. The stories I regularly check involve the release schedules of comics and TV shows that I like. I’ll usually look for that kind of news at least weekly. I also frequently see what’s happening in my hometown through Facebook groups for people in Sauk County. These groups can be pretty funny at times as well.

I don’t have a strong preference for any particular news company and generally avoid traditional news media. If I had to choose a favorite, it would probably be the Associated Press because it tends to be unbiased and reliable. When I actively search for news, I use Google to look. However, most of the time, I just come across stories while scrolling through social media or YouTube. For example, I get almost all my information about the Packers, such as game schedules or player injuries, from Facebook. I also come across videos about current events, like the recent plane crashes, on TikTok.

When it comes to politics, I’m not heavily interested, but I do see trending political issues or updates about new laws since they often show up on my YouTube homepage. I’ll watch short videos to get a general idea of what’s happening but rarely go much deeper unless something really interests me.

I’m not a big fan of podcasts, but I do enjoy short-form videos that quickly summarize news stories. If I’m still interested after watching a few of those, I might search for an article that provides more detailed information.

I’ve learned to be skeptical about news online because a lot of headlines and stories are sensationalized to attract attention and make money. When it comes to bigger issues, especially political ones where perspectives can be skewed to influence people, I like to check multiple sources to get a better picture.

Overall, I tend to stick to social media and YouTube for news because they fit naturally into how I spend time online. They’re convenient and engaging, which makes staying informed easier. When I need important information and videos aren’t cutting it, I’ll check the Associated Press or whichever reliable site shows up first on Google.