Blog #10: EOTO Reaction 2

 We had another successful EOTO where we got to listen to our peers present information about awareness, mediasphere, theories, and policy. One presentation that caught my attention was News Deserts. Below is some of the information I learned: 

What is News Deserts? 

News deserts are communities, either rural or urban, with limited access to credible and comprehensive news and information. More than half of the U.S. counties have limited access to reliable local news and information, so there are no newspapers or technology. It was mentioned in class that some local TV stations in counties are trying to fill the void of having no newspapers, but some places lack the use of technology. Not only are people losing access to information happening in the country and world, they are also losing information on where they are from. I couldn't imagine living somewhere and not knowing what was happening around me. I understand that newspapers are becoming outdated because of the advancement of technology, but it is still important to have access to a newspaper, especially for those who are not "tech savvy" or don't have access to technology. 

Does North Carolina have news deserts? 

After being introduced to this topic, I decided to do some research on my own to see if North Carolina has any news deserts since this is my home state, and I'm curious to see if there are deserts and if digital filling the void. UNC has a website dedicated to news deserts and allows you to explore an interactive map of the United States to see what each state looks like in regards to news deserts. I found that North Carolina has six counties without a newspaper, which isn't bad. Where I live in Rowan County, we only have one newspaper outlet. Thankfully, my county does not lack in technology, and we are able to access news digitally. News deserts is a topic that needs more awareness, especially since I and many others have never heard of this problem.