The other day I was scrolling Facebook and came across a neat little infographic that a friend had posted. It had an interesting statistic on it that I hadn’t seen anywhere else. It was a repost, and the person who originally posted it did not cite her source. I did a little searching, and couldn’t find that statistic anywhere. In fact, I found a very different stat on the same topic reported by multiple reputable sources.
If I had not done my research, I would have walked away with false information guiding my perspective.
It happens all the time.
I have heard so many people say that they are overwhelmed by the news, that they don’t know who to believe and what to think. It is confusing, especially when there is so much contradictory information and so much emotional energy around every topic.
But if we let it overwhelm us and just opt out completely, we won’t know or understand what is going on in the world around us, and the stakes have never been higher. It is hard and confusing, but not impossible. I do believe that journalistic integrity exists, though imperfectly. And I absolutely believe that we are smart enough to critically examine the media we are consuming and be mindful of what we let inform our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
We have to learn to be mindful consumers of media. Here are a few general principles to keep in mind when engaging news and social media.
Identify the type of content you are consuming
Some news is reporting on facts and data, informing the public about something that happened. This type of journalism answers the questions who, what, when, where, and how.
Other news is sharing people’s opinions and interpretations about what happened. This is what you will find in an editorial or political commentary. Editorial and political commentaries will look for and share data that support their perspective. When viewing a commentary, we need to remember that it will primarily include persuasive data that supports the viewpoint the creator is trying to share. This isn’t a bad thing, but it is important that we are aware that what are reading is opinion, not fact. It is someone’s opinion, and could be wrong.
It’s like knowing the difference between broccoli and chocolate. Both have their place, but you cannot expect one to perform the function of the other.
When consuming media, it is helpful to identify the type of content you are viewing and ask yourself “is this fact or opinion?”
Consider the source
It is important to have a few sources that you trust for your news. Identify a few reputable sources that report news (not editorials/commentary) that you seek out, rather than clicking on interesting headlines in your social media feed. You may choose a local newspaper or channel, and one to two national newspapers or programs.
What you see on social media is a response to your profile, history, likes, etc. It is not an accurate representation of what is going on in the world. It is important that you intentionally seek out information, not just passively click on posts.
If you come across something that seems shocking or unlikely, check to see if it is reported by multiple high-profile sources. For example, if you come across a statement that Congress is passing a new bill that has items in it that seem highly unlikely, do a little digging. See if you can find a copy of the bill and read it yourself, or at the very least see if multiple reputable news sources are reporting the same thing. It can also be helpful to use a fact checking website (such as Snopes or the Washington Post fact checker) that can validate or refute suspicious claims.
If you are listening to someone share their opinion, think carefully about how much you trust their knowledge and expertise on the subject. Someone may be a trustworthy human, but not an expert on the subject they are talking about. For example, I have needed glasses since I was seven and I have a doctorate (in Psychology), but if I start speaking as an expert on optical health, you should run for the hills.
Read carefully
When you are reading a news article, pay close attention to what you are reading. Headlines don’t always accurately depict the entirety of a news piece; never take your information from a headline alone.
When you see a graph or a chart, pause and look carefully. What exactly is being charted? Look at the vertical and horizontal axes.
If you come across statistics or data, investigate a few steps further. Where did these stats come from? Is it a peer-reviewed research study? A peer-reviewed study will be more robust and trustworthy than a pre-publication study or a study done by a media outlet. If you are looking at a poll, how were participants selected and how were terms defined? How large was the sample size (the number of participants) and how well does that sample generalize to the population as a whole?
If you are looking at a news article or journal publication, check the date. We are in a season where both science and policy are evolving rapidly. Be sure that you are utilizing current information and resources to inform your perspective.
Identify your bias
We all come to media with our own thoughts, opinions, and viewpoints, and we will view whatever is in front of us through that lens. It is human nature to look for evidence that confirms our perspective, and to limit attention to alternate information.
It is important that we identify and own the biases we bring to the media we consume. If we want to be mindful consumers, we need to guard against confirmation bias. We need to actively seek out opinions different than our own. We need to intentionally look at all media with a critical eye, even that which seems to agree with our bias.
It takes a lot of work to be a mindful consumer of media, but it is essential. We have to be thoughtful researchers, checking our sources, examining data, and critically thinking through what we are reading and hearing. It’s a lot of work, but it is absolutely crucial if we want to be responsible, engaged human beings in the world today.