More Information, Less Informed

In this age of the internet and numerous cable news networks, we have an abundance of information at our fingertips. We should all be far better informed. Yet, unless we are diligent, we only get that information in short segments. Very few deep dives where we get all the facts and context rather than just the headline. 

The cable news equivalent of the newspaper headline or extra addition is the breaking news graphic, announcement, chime, or the large blinking TV crawl (chyron). 

We also have many news outlets that are highly curated to give a specific slant and bias to the news they disseminate. Some have no regard for facts and spread conspiracy theories. There is also a blurring between news content and opinion or editorial content. We should all realize that Fox News is slanted toward the Trump/GOP agenda. MSNBC is slanted toward a more Democratic view. Neither of these networks has actual news programs during primetime. They are opinion/commentary shows. The same is also true for most of the daytime programs. 

As slanted as those two networks may be, they are "fair and balanced" compared to many media outlets. There are websites, podcasts, YouTube and Facebook Live shows, email newsletters, etc. that are at the extremes. You can find some outlet that will feed you what you believe is the truth and what want to hear. Of course, that is dangerous. We all tend to agree with the news that most mirrors our beliefs and views. We also tend to dismiss news we don't agree with regardless of the facts. 

I would encourage you to flip the channel, go to another website, subscribe to a different newspaper or newsletter. I would also encourage you to regularly skip the opinion shows. Watch the network and local newscasts around 6:00 each evening. Read your local paper and a couple of national publications. Give a peak to an international TV news program like the BBC or even Al Jazeera. See what the rest of the world thinks about what is happening and what they think about the US.  As time goes by, if you have an open mind, you will learn which publications, programs, reporters, anchors, websites can be trusted. None are infallible, but some are mostly factual. The good ones quickly admit their errors and correct the reporting. The bad ones simply forget the story or dig in and repeat the erroneous stories. Two different sources are better than one. Three are better than two. 

Find out who you can trust then curate your own opinions based on those facts. Even then, everyone will not agree. Facts are facts but they can be interpreted differently. Religious, ethnic, racial, gender, geographical, political, professional, etc. differences play into our interpretations of those facts. 

It's our country. It is our duty to vote and if we plan to vote, it is our duty to be informed. 

wjh