(1) My Top 5 News/Information Sources

1. Hawai'i News Now

    Growing up in Hawai'i, the TV was always on, and the local news was playing. Hawaiʻi News Now brought everything from sports stats, the weather, politics when in season, surf reports, and what is happening on each island. My personal favorite section that gets broadcast is the sunrise segment. It shows the beauty of Hawaiʻi and brings a spark when needed. I also love their cooking segments because of the onolicious food they produce and the smiles it brings to the anchors/guests. You would love this news source because it brings a glimpse of Hawaiʻi to wherever you are, whether on the continent or internationally. You will always have a piece of "home" with you.

2. Google News

Google News is a great source in all aspects. They give you left, right, and center opinions on political arguments. If you are challenged by technology, Google News would be a great and easy source to look up anything and everything. With Google News, they try their best to fact-check everything that is posted, which can be very vital for people who want to avoid misinformation. I personally like Google News because it gives me the top trends/stories of the day, focusing on global and local developments. Using Google News can be beneficial if you want real-time information that comes from trusted sources.

 

3. TED Talks

    If you are looking for storytelling, personal connections, a call to action, and compact and impactful content,  TED Talks are the way to go. My personal favorite talk that I thought was interesting was the topic of COVID-19 and the impact it had over the years. This brought multiple perspectives of what happened to people and how it affected them, but in all, they focused on human resilience, collective responsibilities, and transformation. Although TED Talks are not news source heavy, they focus on important topics that should be brought up and discussed more than usual.

4. Social Media Platforms—TikTok, Instagram/Threads, Facebook, and Snapchat

    If you have a phone or any electronic device, then you have at least one source of social media. Even though news can be depicted on some of these apps, there is also news that is true and can be spread as fast as a click of a button. TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat are just a few social media platforms that I use every day to get the most recent news. With social media operating as a public platform, you get a wide range of perspectives and voices of news from individuals, journalists, organizations, and public figures. The ability to create personalized feeds with social media algorithms by following specific users or utilizing specific hashtags is another advantage that social media platforms provide us. If you are skilled in technology, social media platforms can range with unlimited opportunities, especially in today's society. 

5. ESPN

    Now let's talk sports. According to the ESPN press room, they recently marked an incredible milestone by honoring ESPN with the most-watched month in a decade back in January 2025. With an astonishing 1.6 million viewers, cable networks average minute audience throughout the entire month; ESPN has been flourishing. ESPN has been a big part of my life because I was raised in a sports family, and we were very invested in the competition. With fantasy sports growing, ESPN coverage has been a huge aspect in helping with bets, from live stats to roster management and many more important details. If you are a big sports fan, whether it is NFL, NBA, MLB, college football, international soccer, tennis, or Formula 1, ESPN is appealing to fans of a wide range of sports.