How do students stay up to date with news? ‘I hate CestMocro’

Major news corporations are no longer the primary source of information for many students. But through the alternative, apps like Instagram and TikTok, inaccurate information can spread. So how do students stay up to date with truthful journalism?

‘News is background information to me’

Jonathan Kelk is a first-year Communications student. When he was younger, his parents were always watching the news, but he never followed suit. “It was more background information for me. I wasn’t curious about it and never got the urge to know more as my parents would tell me if there was something important.”

To him, ‘the news is always negative’. “My parents were always following the news 24/7 and that triggered me, because they always told me ‘don’t do this, don’t do that’ based off the news. I don’t think you have to know everything that is happening in the world.”

‘I’m actively searching for different perspectives in news’

“News corporations aren’t my point of reference. I try to search for different perspectives by taking news from various outlets, like AJ+ or Will Media, an Italian platform offering in-depth stories on climate, social and political topics.” Simone is a master’s student in Financial Economics and has always been immersed in the news. “I wasn’t searching for information when I was younger, the process would be more passive, when your parents are watching the news. But now I’m actively searching for news. Specifically in dead moments when I have some time.”

His international background allowed him to uncover the narrative differences between mainstream outlets: “I speak several languages, so sometimes when I hear the same news in different languages, you notice another perspective. For example in Italy, mainstream media don’t cover the Middle-East in as much depth as  France. French outlets sometimes have an Arab journalist, who can offer more insight.” He has found a reliable news source in HugoDécrypte, a French journalist and YouTuber. “I think he’s effective in the way he says things. I don’t see real bias in him.”

‘It’s just a random guy in the attic’

Antonie Vrijdag is a fourth-year student in Econometrics. News has been a staple in his routine since childhood. “I used to watch the NOS channel, and RTL Boulevard with my mum when having dinner for a little bit of gossip. Now I do a mix of social media and NOS on my phone.”

Does Antonie follow news gurus online? CestMocro maybe? “No, I hate that guy. I think it’s just a random guy in an attic that has no journalistic values, spreading very biased content.” Although he admits that ‘NOS can be biased as everyone is somewhat biased’, the codes in place on mainstream outlets vary to the ones on social media. “CestMocro doesn’t have a code of conduct, and NOS has a diverse number of writers and reporters well versed in journalism.”