As I've said in class, AP Lang is very much a class about debating and discussing issues that are current and relevant. The AP Lang exam usually chooses the topics for the two argumentation essays (35% of the grade) from topics that are taken from the news of the day.
If you have a smart phone, you hold in your hand a powerful tool for accessing the news that was unavailable five years ago. Above is a screen shot of the main news-group on my iPhone. These apps are all from reputable news sources that will aid you in developing a deeper and more nuanced understanding of current events.
See inside for a brief summary of each source and for links to their websites. All apps can be downloaded from either Apple or Google's app stores:
BBC News: The British Broadcasting Corporation. Public (government funded) broadcaster of TV and radio news and programming. The largest broadcaster in the world. Excellent news source with an objective (and international) perspective.
CNN: The original cable TV news station. Not as internationally focused as the BBC, but a solid app with good, solid reporting.
Yahoo News: News straight from the Associated Press. Clicking through the sections (beyond "top stories") can sometimes yield interesting news stories that didn't get picked by editors of other sites or newspapers.
USA Today: Solid if unremarkable reporting from one of the most circulated newspapers in the country. Good for a quick look at the big stories on any given day.
The Washington Post: A great free app from one of the most well-respected and oldest (1877) newspapers in the country. (Leans slightly conservative)
ProPublica: An interesting non-profit news site based in New York City that focuses on "investigative journalism." Often provides enlightening, in-depth reporting on issues that other media outlets are either ignoring or glossing over. May have a slight liberal lean.
Politico: A small newspaper (parent company is ABC/Disney) focused specifically on the "game of thrones" that is Washington politics. Stays narrowly focused on the political battles that take place within the Beltway.
Time Magazine: One of the country's oldest (1923) and well-respected news magazines. A good place to go for objective (leans slightly conservative) and complete coverage with a level of detail that daily newspapers can't replicate.
NPR News: The American version of "BBC radio" (90.9 on your FM dial). National Public Radio is the place to go for high-quality, in-depth "radio" news. Morning Edition and All Things Considered are two of the better shows. Some stories do lean liberal, but NPR is not quite the liberal mouthpiece that some would make it out to be.
Discovery News: Also owned by Disney Corporation, the news site and app run by the Discovery Channel. Great place to go for science related headlines.
Flipboard: A tablet or smartphone based app that enables you to collect news and entertainment content from multiple (numerous) sites and display them in one place. Highly customizable.
69 News: Local news. It's whatever.
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