Post #2: Navigating the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS)

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is one of the most powerful and influential jurisdictions in the world. Established in 1789, this article was added to the U.S. Constitution and endorsed by President George Washington to create a system of checks and balances. Upon reading an article about the history of the Supreme Court, I learned more about its function and the important role it plays in our country.

Both the video and the article read provided a better scope of the Supreme Court and the responsibilities that accompany being a justice. I never knew that the number of Supreme Court Justices changed over the course of several years. I always believed there were nine; however, it actually began with six. I am still curious as to why the number of justices changed so frequently and why nine was the agreed-upon number. Additionally, I had never heard of some of the cases that were discussed in the article such as Lawrence v. Texas (2003), which struck down state anti-sodomy laws. It’s interesting how the Supreme Court only chooses to review 100 cases per year out of the thousands they receive. 

The most important key takeaway of these materials is knowing that the ultimate goal of the Supreme Court is to uphold the value of equal justice under law, as it is outlined in the Constitution. As stated by Chief John Marshall in the case of Marbury vs. Madison, the Supreme Court is in charge of deeming legislation that is passed by Congress to be constitutional or not. Ultimately, the Supreme Court works to support the American people and make sure our constitutional rights are not being infringed upon. 

Something I was surprised to learn is that appointed Supreme Court Justices have to be approved by the Senate in order to be accepted. It surprises me that there aren’t more disagreements within the Supreme Court due to how presidents typically nominate their own party members to fill vacancies. It was also interesting to learn that there have been 115 Supreme Court Justices in U.S. history. The whole appointing procedure is quite intriguing, so I'm glad I was exposed to the inner workings of the system.

Watching the video certainly altered my perception of the Supreme Court. I was never really particularly involved in politics, but this video gave me an in-depth summary of the case selection process, the structure of the U.S. court systems, and what the life of a Supreme Court Justice looks like. I have a newfound respect for Supreme Court Justices because many people fail to recognize how stressful and overwhelming the job can be.

Post #1: Keeping up with the World

Growing up, I hated when 10 p.m. rolled around because that meant it was time for my parents to turn on News 12 New Jersey and watch the nightly news. The station's slogan "It's 10 p.m. Do you know where your children are?" was the first thing I heard each time and I would always look at my parents and jokingly say "At least you know I'm on the couch." The reason I didn't like to watch the news wasn't that it was boring; it was because the news made me sad. Almost every single story involved some type of accident or death or economic issue and very rarely was something positive ever talked about. Now, as a 21-year-old college student in the midst of a global pandemic, I understand the true importance of staying up to date with current events and the impact those events have on the world as a whole. Below is a list of five news sources that I utilize and gather information from. 

1.) Social Media: Instagram and Snapchat 

Although Instagram and Snapchat are used for more recreational and social purposes, I still find these outlets to be quite useful when it comes to staying informed. Instagram is used by people of all ages which makes finding stories more accessible whereas Snapchat’s users are predominantly teenagers and young adults who might be just “getting their feet wet” with reading the news. Snapchat highlights stories from The Daily News and The Dodo which can influence young people to look further into those events. I like using Instagram and Snapchat more for news exposure rather than actual fact-checking. After seeing a story on my feed, I usually go to more reliable sources to gather more information and research the topic more in-depth. The biggest reason I would recommend using social media as a news source is convenience. Many people are on social media every day anyway, so they might as well check to see what’s going on in the world while they’re on there. Additionally, many of the large news broadcast stations such as Fox, CNN, NBC, etc. have Instagram accounts that post multiple times per day, sharing direct links to articles and video clips. 

2.) Fox News 

Fox News is one of the largest news networks in the country. In 2021, it was the most-watched basic cable network for the sixth year in a row. I like Fox for its reliability and variety of news. In general, most people would opt to watch/ listen to news rather than read it because people like to be entertained and enjoy visuals. I can turn on Fox 5 for just a few minutes at night and will have received a ton of information because the network is good at timing their segments and relaying facts quickly. I recommend Fox because it always has coverage on breaking news and the website is updated frequently to reflect that as well. 

3.) CNN

Much like Fox, CNN has a very large audience and is one of the biggest news networks in the US. Because of this, CNN is easily accessible and can quickly provide information. It’s important to subscribe to multiple news networks, like CNN and Fox because bias is very present in today’s news. Stories can be framed to make the audience feel a certain way about something, so exposing yourself to multiple outlets and hearing multiple perspectives can help you have a better understanding of the events and issues. 

4.) The New York Post

When I was younger, there was never a time that I left any type of gas station or convenience store without my dad having a copy of the New York Post in his hand. Newspapers have become increasingly unpopular as people turn to technology and online media; however, I like reading the New York post because it covers a wide span of topics. The paper highlights world news as well as pop culture and other current events. The New York Post provides both negative and positive coverage. Also, because the New York Post is a newspaper, there are several different sections of their website including opinion editorials, horoscopes, sports, fashion, etc. There is something for everyone and you can kind of pick and choose the types of stories you want to see. 

5.) Associated Press

This is a source I recently began using, but I like it for its nonpartisanship. The Associated Press is very unbiased and reports strictly facts. Even in stories regarding politics, the language used by the Associated Press is very neutral and impartial. If there are any claims made, they cite the sources they received information from as well as provide data and statistics to support the claims. Being a future communications professional, it is certainly useful to know about this source as the Associated Press is one of the resources used when composing press releases, media advisories, and other pieces of writing.