Democracy Now‪!‬ ١٢+

It's difficult to review the app without commenting on the show's content, so let me get that part out of the way. Democracy Now is, hands down, the best news daily going. Free from corporate influence, relying on grass roots support, they don't have to march to "big money's" drum and come across as the best place for journalists to employ their education and skill with integrity.

The app is perhaps the latest development in making their message accessible, but there's still room for improvement. It's tremendously convenient to access the show simply by clicking on an icon. However, if the viewer has limited access to wifi, it's content is not apparently stored to be obtained without using data minutes. Some of us are privileged, and thankful, for the donations of others to maintain the show's quality and integrity, yet do not have the resources to purchase a smart phone with data minutes. It would work better for us if the app allowed us to store content when within wifi range so we could view it later. Also, the app is geared for smartphone use, but I rely on my iPad. It would work better for me if there was a companion iPad app to make landscape viewing and entry more convenient. Moreover, I've found that some days allow live access to the show through the app but not others. Lastly, the "contact" link sometimes is insufficient in allowing my iPad to move away from and comeback to the entry screen.

I can’t get the app to play videos anymore. It might be because I updated iOS. Also, the app doesn’t have short fast forward/buttons, which is a real flaw.

The news, however, is great. Watching (or reading or listening to the headlines every day would make anyone pretty well informed in just 10 minutes per day. I recommend the headlines to anyone who wants to be well informed, regardless of your political opinions.

The other segments are interesting and informative as well. They have an anti-war, pro human rights, pro-democracy, pro-choice bias, but are very informative. Everyone has a bias, so I’m not saying this is bad.

I am thankful that I can listen to the newscast on my way to work without watching the video. When I’m home, watching the video is great—they have incredible guests—but I don’t always have time so the number one thing I appreciate about the app is that I can listen to the newscast without streaming video which eats up data.

Since I’m here a couple things I appreciate about Democracy Now in general: The news is not often something to celebrate, and hardly ever is it good news but I think being informed is one of the best choices a human living in this time can make. Democracy Now sites their sources, allowing the public to find information out on their own. Another really important thing I think people should do: their own research. Don’t just take what newscasters say for the complete truth! Besides the fact that they generally have a limited time to cover certain stories (you can always learn more) you should be able to confirm or deny what you’re being told. Democracy Now gives you the tools to do that. This transparency is why I continue to return to Democracy Now to keep up with current events. Thanks DM!