EOTO Terms and Concepts Reaction Post

 This EOTO focused on terms and concepts in technology today. A lot of these terms and concepts were happenings in media and what to stay vigilant of in everyday life while using technology. The concept I want to focus my reaction post on is News Deserts, in this post I will go over what I learned and my interpretation of the concept.

What Is a News Desert?

    A news desert is an area or region that has little to no access to credible news sources. These areas receive little coverage and typically have one newspaper. I found the concept of news deserts incredibly surprising because of how widely America has internet access. In today's age, especially in suburban and urban areas, I find it difficult to step away from the internet and news. However, news deserts are still prevalent and happen in areas of the country like parts of Texas, rural parts of California, and a high percentage of counties in Mississippi. 

Why Do They Happen?

    News deserts are caused by a supply issue in the newspaper. Often, the newspapers in parts of the country act as "ghosts". The papers may be owned by a private corporation, hedge fund, or private equity fund, causing high cost cutting and eventually leading to lower quantity and/or quality of the media. Most of the citizens living in a news desert get their information from the radio and social media, this can create bias as the media being consumed is swayed. 

Who Does This Effect?

    Most obviously, news deserts widely effect the citizens living in these areas. News deserts can also be created in elderly communities, low income communities, and local governments. Citizens living in news deserts will cause a sway in voting, they may be voting on misinformation causing local governments to be corrupt. This could also cause marginalized communities to become vulnerable to being taken advantage of, in factors like voting and where their money is going.

    Overall, news deserts are a very large issue America will be forced to face. Funding to local papers and media is vital to ensure all news can be credible. Quantity and quality of news is vital to navigate the problems of America today. I really enjoyed learning about this EOTO!