Dwindling are the days of children and teens sitting with their parents or relatives around the radio at night or reading the newspaper in the mornings. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but we can't deny - people are busier and more digital than ever. That does not mean, however, that people have stopped driving or listening to the radio. And it does not give citizens of the United States the excuse to be uninformed about the happenings in their own country and the world.
Luckily, NPR exists. National Public Radio. In Saint Louis, where I grew up, it's 90.7 FM but believe me, when I say it wouldn't be hard to find out the station on which you can hear all of the same stories in other cities, just by asking around. Many people know what NPR is, and they know it's a trusted source of news. But not everyone gets why it's so much more, and more important than that. It's the radio station I heard most in the car on rides to school growing up; or rather, car rides to anywhere for that matter. It's the station I continued to tune into when I started driving myself to school at age 16. I feel as though this might be an appropriate time to confess that I'd be lying if I said I haven't risked being late to school or work more than once because I just had to hear the end of a joke or story. Though I admit, when I started taking it upon myself to listen, I was still a teen. And as a teen, and still as a young adult now, I mostly prefer listening to music in the car. However, I have always made sure to tune into the beloved station at least in the mornings, because I recognize its importance. Tuning into a trusted news source is imperative to being an informed citizen, which is imperative to ensuring a positive future for our world. I'm not bashing any other news source here, but the bottom line is, not enough people know about the basic topics happening in our country or around the world.
Again, I'm no saint here. Once I moved away to go to college, and my time in the car decreased to a fraction of what it was through grade school, it became much easier to live in a bubble. I became so tied up in all the things I had to do that I forgot that tuning into NPR was something that I used to love to do; it was something for which I felt the need hold myself accountable. I believed and continue to believe that it is my responsibility to stay informed and to make informed decisions, so I choose to listen to NPR. I find that after listening for just 20 minutes on my way to work, I feel more fulfilled and more prepared to have intelligent conversations. I find that without fail, my ability to participate in, and contribute to, intelligent conversations skyrockets if I have been receiving my daily dose of news. And let me tell you, not once have I said, "I heard on NPR..." and received a confused look, or an inquiry about what that source was.
In a nutshell, you should be listening to NPR. NPR is trusted and loved: everyone's heard of it, and "nearly 38 million people listen to public radio each week. NPR has a larger audience than most commercial news shows and all of the cable news channels." It's listener friendly: you don't have to be a scholar to understand what reporters are saying. It's relatable and thought-provoking: among all of their segments and topics, it's almost impossible to not be able to relate to some story being covered. NPR is filled with passionate voices: the reporters know what they're talking about, and clearly have a passion for what they do. They report the information professionally, but every once in a while, share funny moments that remind us all of their humanity, and that they must love their work for the time and effort they devote to it. Some of their segments are downright entertaining: have you heard "Serial", or "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me!"? You can learn anything from this station, and actually, enjoy it while it happens (I know, shocker.) Despite my excuses about lacking the opportunity to tune in because I spend less time in the car than I used to, it's accessible: NPR's shows are available on their website, or as podcasts so you can listen on the go. There really is no excuse to not listen. There really is no excuse to not be a more informed citizen. Especially with a presidential election on the way, and ever-changing world dynamics and economies, please, take a few minutes, and tune into the beloved, trusted, straightforward, listener-friendly, and entertaining news station available right at our fingertips.
