conHow do you know what is going on in your neighborhood, municipality, county, state, region, country or elsewhere?

That would seem to be a question easily answered BUT if you think about it you might only be getting opinions about what is going on rather than what is actually happening. Also, it would be very helpful to know what may or will result from new or ongoing situations.

First, how do you know what is going on? Let's break it down geographically...

NEIGHBORHOOD

Listening and observing with or without aids (e.g. hearing amplification, binoculars, night-vision).
Talking to neighbors.
Listening to local radio transmissions (e.g. scanners, CB radio, NOAA Weather Radio).

MUNICIPALITY/COUNTY/STATE

Going to local meetings.
Listening to local AM, FM, TV stations.
Reading the local newspaper.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Electronic media including television, Internet news and information, shortwave radio.

This is all pretty much common sense. However, if you start thinking about it, you begin to wonder about what you are hearing or seeing. How accurate? How complete? Fact or opinion? How truthful? The answers to these questions could lead you to a disastrous conclusion.

In future blogs in the communications section we'll expand on all of this.