Know Thyself
It’s here were a news consumer has to watch out for “confirmation bias” — reading or watching only the sources of news that you already agree with.
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Know the Outlet Doing the Reporting
“In the age of digital media, new sources of information pop up every day; it’s important to understand the source of the information. This is more than just understanding if the news source is politically left-leaning or right-leaning. Analysts look at whether or not the organization putting out the information has a political goal or if it is a traditional news source,” Otis said.
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Know the Journalist Doing the Reporting
On a related point, Otis said readers should take some time to learn a bit about the author or commentator giving them the news and whether they have a background in the topic area.
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Don’t Blindly Trust Sources, Assess Them
Diving into the meat of the story itself, readers should pay particular attention to the sources cited and how their background is relevant to the subject at hand.
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Slow Down, You Might Discover Non-Stories
In the lightning-fast 24-hour news cycle, it’s easy to see blockbuster news reports coming one after the other. The problem is that it can leave little time for the news organization and others, much less the average citizen, to examine any one thing for very long.
Otis says it’s still important to consciously slow down and take the time to do some research.
Seriously, Slow Down and Don’t Be Part of the Problem
“It’s more important than ever before to make sure you’re not part of the disinformation problem,” Otis said.
That means taking a breath before clicking “retweet” on Twitter or “share” on Facebook and running through the above steps.
“Resist the impulse to retweet now based off a headline and read later (or maybe not at all),” Otis said. “If there’s something you don’t know, take the time to do the research.”
And if you read something that you really, really want to be true, that's the time to be most skeptical. Read the article; it's worth the time.
It’s here were a news consumer has to watch out for “confirmation bias” — reading or watching only the sources of news that you already agree with.
...
Know the Outlet Doing the Reporting
“In the age of digital media, new sources of information pop up every day; it’s important to understand the source of the information. This is more than just understanding if the news source is politically left-leaning or right-leaning. Analysts look at whether or not the organization putting out the information has a political goal or if it is a traditional news source,” Otis said.
...
Know the Journalist Doing the Reporting
On a related point, Otis said readers should take some time to learn a bit about the author or commentator giving them the news and whether they have a background in the topic area.
...
Don’t Blindly Trust Sources, Assess Them
Diving into the meat of the story itself, readers should pay particular attention to the sources cited and how their background is relevant to the subject at hand.
...
Slow Down, You Might Discover Non-Stories
In the lightning-fast 24-hour news cycle, it’s easy to see blockbuster news reports coming one after the other. The problem is that it can leave little time for the news organization and others, much less the average citizen, to examine any one thing for very long.
Otis says it’s still important to consciously slow down and take the time to do some research.
Seriously, Slow Down and Don’t Be Part of the Problem
“It’s more important than ever before to make sure you’re not part of the disinformation problem,” Otis said.
That means taking a breath before clicking “retweet” on Twitter or “share” on Facebook and running through the above steps.
“Resist the impulse to retweet now based off a headline and read later (or maybe not at all),” Otis said. “If there’s something you don’t know, take the time to do the research.”
And if you read something that you really, really want to be true, that's the time to be most skeptical. Read the article; it's worth the time.