Introduction - Media and Society

Hi there!

My name is Audrey Linder and this is my second year at LBCC, majoring in journalism. After I graduate with an associates, I'll be transferring to OSU, majoring in creative writing with my minors still weighing between a variety of choices (entomology, anthropology, and Japanese studies — to name a few.)

I am currently the Managing Editor at LB's student-run magazine, The Commuter.

My ultimate goal is to eventually write for National Geographic as a traveling journalist, experiencing a variety of countries, cultures, and communities. I am attending LB because of its affordability, incredible staff/resources, and that smooth transition into Oregon State.

Outside of academics, I thoroughly enjoy being out in nature and collecting all sorts of rocks, dead insects, and specimens. I preserve and mummify a variety of critters in my free time. I am also a large movie nerd (specifically horror movies) and enjoy going to the theater. In the evening, I prefer to wind down with a cup of black coffee and a Shirley Jackson novel. Other than that, I just write, write, write! I am extremely passionate about journalism and all forms of writing. 

I am completely anti-social media and therefore rarely spend my time online — unless I'm conducting research for an article, a class, or a movie. So, it is to say, I retrieve my information through various news outlets such as The New York Times, National Geographic, CNN (most recently), BBC, etc. I also read articles from The Commuter (shameless plug). On occasion, I will watch video essays on Youtube, mainly about Japanese culture. 

These are my go-to sources because, as stated previously, I distrust social media to supply me with viable information. And while I recognize that sometimes articles online or printed can be slightly skeptical, as a journalist it is my duty to support the art of journalism and expand my knowledge in this arena as well. It is my community, thus it is my source for information.

Of course, every source cannot maintain exact honesty or accuracy, but I find that I can still rely on the base forms of journalism to give me the information I am looking for, and to stay away from strictly right or left-wing biased sources.

I am always concerned about AI. It is everywhere, it is integrated in our daily routines, whether we realize or not. Unfortunately, when you use Google, AI is present. When you use social media, AI is present. It is the base algorithm for almost anything technological at this point. 

This is a subject that I could expand broadly upon, but I will attempt to steer clear from over-explanation. This point is: AI is bad in the media and journalism world. We should never combine these two topics, and as journalists should NEVER succumb to AI, even if it is just to "spell-check" or "summarize." 

I know that my sources attempt to steer clear of AI as well, because they are committed and authentic journalists that still hold integrity. Although it can't be proven that there are no methods involved, it's always important to read between the lines, read the "about" page, or dig deeper into the source you're getting that information from. Do the research on the research, so to speak.