Griffin Poutre Shares Ways You Can Keep Yourself Informed About Current Political Information

In an election year, the news media becomes frenzied. There’s 24/7 coverage of all campaigns, both on the state level and nationally. From the daily updates to the frequent polls every other day, it is easy to get overwhelmed with so much data.

Griffin Poutre of Newmarket, New Hampshire, is a senior at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, where he studies Political Science. During high school, he oversaw fundraising and the procurement of donations for his class activities, including junior prom. He saw great success in reaching out to the community and local businesses for support. With a passion for politics, he has been very involved and invested in the U.S. political system. He has worked on many campaigns in his local state and works to encourage others to get involved in politics whether it’s as a voter or campaigner.

Being Data Smart

According to Griffin Poutre, the deluge of visual data, especially in an election year, is usually too much for many people. Not to mention that this visual data can be confusing. Take colored maps, for example. They make it easier to understand the data and see which candidate is ahead. But sometimes these maps tend to oversimplify for the sake of being clear, like when they ignore the population density in a region or the margins.

The same applies to pie charts and donut charts. Of all the visual data tools, the bars are often the most accurate. So always read the full article rather than rely on the pie chart to get a clear picture of where each candidate stands.

Objective and Informative Coverage

In a politically polarized society, it’s important to find a balanced news source that covers what’s happening with objectiveness. Every major news outlet tries its best to be fair and balanced. But it’s not recommended to rely on just one news source and to ignore the rest of the political spectrum. To stay informed, you need to listen to, read, and watch different coverages from all angles, says Griffin Poutre.

The same applies to opinion sections in major newspapers and magazines. Opinion writers distill the news coverage and give their take on what is going on. Even in these days where the news cycle is short and changing fast, getting different perspectives about the issues that matter is crucial to make the right decisions.

Griffin Poutre on Striking a Balance between National and Local Politics

It’s no secret that following the national news at the cost of local politics can create a lopsided situation. What many people tend to forget is that local elections are just as important as the presidential and congressional ones. Local politics matter to the average person at the same level, if not more than whoever sits in the White House. A well-informed voter focuses both on national and local elections and rather than vote straight-ticket, they would choose the best candidate who represents them regardless of that candidate’s party affiliations. To help you stay focused, Griffin Poutre recommends political discussions among family and friends to make it easier to sift through the daily barrage of news.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes