There are pivotal moments in time that we each experience. For me I felt the most pull to the Women’s Marches in 2017, September 11th, Super-star Micheal Jackson’s death, Obama becoming president, and Hillary Clinton being the first woman to run for president. I also remember the day the American Armed forces captured Osama Bin Laden during the Obama Presidency.
The Women’s march that took place on January 21, 2017, in Chicago, Illinois was a broadcasted event that changed my life forever. As a young woman I remember watching the marches parade down my very own city streets. I remember feeling a sense of pride to be a woman and to be alive during all of this. These marches began to take place not only in Chicago but all over the world. The coverage on these marches were soft news stories. This impacted me greatly because I am a woman and I am also from the suburbs of Chicago. It was incredible to see women from all over the Chicagoland area come together for one common cause and goal. It was beautifully portrayed on the news and it was an event I am so upset I was not in attendance at. http://womens121marchonchicago.org/virtual-march/
September 11th, 2001 was a day that did not only change on American city, but it changed the American people as a whole. 9/11 is one of my very first memories of the news. I remember sitting down at breakfast with my mother and actually seeing the planes go into the world trade center on the television. My mother shrieked in horror and quickly moved me into a different room. She then called my dad who worked in the Sears Tower in Downtown Chicago at the time and begged him to get out of the city because New York had just been attacked. No one knew who or what would be next. 9/11 Instilled a fear in the American people that we will never forget. The stories on 9/11 are all hard news stories. They reached international audiences as well. This impacted me because I remember actually feeling terrified for the first time and seeing real fear in my mother’s eyes. https://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/27/us/september-11-anniversary-fast-facts/index.html
Micheal Jackson was known around the world for his “thrilling” music. He had an incredible talent and was known to be one of the biggest pop-stars of our time. Micheal Jackson died on June, 25, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. Jackson was found dead in his home only two minutes after the doctor that was caring for him walked away. He was said to have a serious pain killer problem and abused the drugs to the point where he was referring to them as milk so they could be administered to him in public. Jackson’s death saddened many. This was international hard news. This impacted me because I am a huge fan of music. Micheal Jackson set the stage for many artists today and many artists still to come. He paved the creative way for the entertainment industry during his lifetime. https://inews.co.uk/culture/music/michael-jackson-death-cause-how-die-when-date-age-leaving-neverland
The 2008 presidential Election was one I will never forget. I became emerssed in the debates between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. I felt as if it was such a special time to be alive as I was witnessing history watching the first black man on his way to becoming The President of The United States. I fell in love with the way both candidates articulated their points as well as respected each other throughout their differences. I am incredibly interested in politics and seeing an election like this gave me incredible hope at the time and made me feel like I had so much to fight for. This election was national news but also made public on international news platforms. https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/us/politics/05campaign.html
I genuinely enjoy politics and I found the 2016 election to be especially interesting. As a young woman watching Hillary Clinton come so close to becoming the first female President of the United States was absolutely thrilling but also heartbreaking when she lost. The coverage on the 2016 election was all soft news. The world watched in amazement as Donald Trump beat Hillary Clinton. The world was also waiting to see whether America would finally do it, and elect a female president. I remember constant coverage and news on this election more so than any other I had ever lived through. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/nov/09/hillary-clinton-election-president-loss
Finally, the last stories that really stuck out to me and that I will never forget are the ones about the United States Armed Forces capturing and killing Osama Bin Laden under the Obama administration with Hillary Clinton also playing a role. This is something I will never forget. I remember the almost excitement that came through the news once we finally found him and raided. I remember my Dad and Grandfather saying something along the lines of “finally”. The country rejoiced at a death which is so horrible and yet so interesting to me at the same time because it was a death that seemed necessary. This impacted me because this was something I was confused about. I would never wish death upon anyone but at the same time this was still considered “good news” I felt an internal conflict upon hearing of all of this. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-13257972
In conclusion these events have shaped how I view media today. I consider myself to be a local and national news consumer. I consume mostly soft news but hard news when it is broadcasted. I consume international media too for example when Notre Dame burned down. I find myself using news and media almost constantly as a way to stay informed. Events such as the ones I listed above are not as few and far between as we’d like to think. The news and the media is constantly changing and things are constantly happening world wide to remain caught up with.
Emily's Blog 