Tips for sorting through the media landscape

Can we trust the media?

Mass media and social media bias, often dwelling on the negative, continues to permeate our society. Fake news, disinformation, omission by intention, prejudicial interpretation and editorial critiquing of the news challenges our ability to make sense of what is actually happening, therefore influencing America’s political and cultural scene.

Wikipedia states that bias is a systematic emphasis on one particular point of view in such a way that contravenes the standards of professional journalism.

Fake or hoax news is information or propaganda published under the guise of authentic news in an attempt to mislead the public and spread misinformation via social networking.

Further, this bias, or disinformation, results from, “media convergence” where the writer/presenter is influenced by a specific source, political party or government entity. On the other hand, “media literacy” is where the viewer/listener has the opportunity to filter the information and then create his or her own opinion on the subject — a better alternative.

When challenged to differentiate among bias, fake news and honest reporting, we can be better informed by addressing the following questions:

▪  Is the story reported by more than just one news outlet?

▪  Is the URL legitimate?

▪  Does the story itself have more than a single source?

▪  Is the story a news story or an “opinion” column?

Lastly, your common sense should prevail in interpreting the news.

Ideally, without trying to entertain us, a simple, honest reporting of the news, that allows us to form our own opinion, is most desirable.

This story was originally published August 22, 2017 at 7:28 AM with the headline "Tips for sorting through the media landscape."