Whatever you might have thought of George W. Bush as president of the United States, after eight years many of us had stopped paying very close attention to the daily actions of him and his administration. Opinions were formed in the preceding years, and so continuing to follow every news bite hardly seemed worth it. Well now it's 2009 and a new presidential era has begun. Whether or not you voted for President Barack Obama, you cannot deny that we are in for some big changes. He has made that perfectly clear just within his first weeks as head of state. He has the attention of the world, the media, and the American people. His actions certainly merit a bit of your attention as well!
News stations have a renewed interest in Washington, both because of this peaceful transfer of power and because of the economic crisis, and by watching a variety of news stations, you can get a broad picture of what is going on, and hopefully form your own opinions based upon this spectrum of reporting. Satellite TV is your best bet for staying as informed as possible, given the variety of national and international news stations available.
In fact, the international news stations can be some of the most insightful for staying abreast of domestic news, since outsiders often have a distinct view not possible for those on the inside. On satellite TV, you can find out what the Hindi, Spanish, or French news stations have to say about current events in America. You can enjoy high definition, high quality news reports from around the globe. You can also pick and choose between different national stations, balancing what you hear from CNN, CBS, and FOX in order to paint a realistic picture.
You don't need to sacrifice your regular viewing habits just to watch the news. Sundays can still be dedicated to the NFL Sunday Ticket, a day to revel in sports and your favorite teams and athletes. Prime-time can still be devoted to watching Lost or Grey's Anatomy. But in the mornings, when you are getting ready for work, try flipping on one of the news stations and get the morning report. Browse the evening news shows and find out which one is your favorite, then make a point of watching it regularly.
These days it is cool to know what is going on. At work, the "water cooler" talk is likely to involve discussions of Wall Street and foreign policy, energy sources and fiscal responsibility. You want to be able to point to the Gaza Strip on a map and know what Gitmo means. No one is expecting you to know everything, but it is certainly admirable to know something. Your satellite TV is a precious resource for learning the news, so don't waste it! Next time you end up in a political conversation, there is no need to feel that you are out of your league and just stay quiet. Turn some heads by contributing a headline or an opinion, taking an active role in this exciting time in American history!