Ask people these days where they get their news from and most of them will probably say Facebook or Twitter.

Of course, that’s completely incorrect. News doesn’t come from social media any more than food comes from supermarkets.

While it can be quick and convenient to get your news from social media, it’s also exhausting. You have to sort through conflicting stories and the opinions of friends, relatives and random internet punters to try and make sense of things.

So, maybe what we need to cut through all the noise is some actual journalism. Unfortunately, this is an industry that has its own issues to tackle.

• There’s a proliferation of fake and misleading websites.
• Opinion reported as news.
• The weaponisation of ‘Fake News’.
• The industry has experienced an unprecedented wave of layoffs and cutbacks.
• The weaponisation of social media
• Our own instincts to seek out the sources that confirm our existing beliefs

In short, and it’s never been harder to get the whole picture of news and events in our world.

One of the best ways to determine accuracy - on anything - is to use multiple sources.

This is what scholars do. This is what faculty train college and university students to do when they write papers for courses. This is what we do when we’re scrolling through reviews trying to work out which new smartphone to buy. 

And the more sources you review, the more likely you are to come to an accurate conclusion.

As much as many of us claim that we want a more complete picture of the world around us, it’s time-consuming to seek out sources that challenge your bias and to find news from across the spectrum of conservative, liberal and centrist sources.

That’s why what we’re doing at OneSub is so important. A single place to come, and find the stories that matter to you, from multiple sources. Without doom-scrolling, without getting bogged down by comments and arguments, or distracted by funny cat videos. 

There is no doubt that journalism is still as important as it was a decade ago. We live in a world of noise and disinformation and we need skilled journalists who have honed the ability to sift through sources and distinguish facts from half-truths or outright lies more than ever. We need their contacts, their persistence, their tenacity and their dedication to their jobs, their communities and in bringing you the information you need to know. 

And we owe it to ourselves to move past our own beliefs and to see our complicated global landscape exactly as it is. 

The events happening around us don’t care what you believe. They will happen in front of you, around you and they will make a difference to your life. They will affect your city, your finances, your health, your safety, your family and friends, and the country and world in which you are a citizen.

Being informed is not always about you. But it is up to you.