Every time you turn on the news, it just seems like the world is driving deeper and deeper into darkness. Some people have stopped watching the news because of how utterly depressing it is and others continue to watch it so that they might be prepared. But, lately we’ve heard a lot about this term “fake news” from our president, Donald Trump. While there are times when his usage of this term goes a tad overboard, he is on to something that we all need to pay attention to.
Have you ever noticed that Fox news holds some strong Republican views or that CNN promotes the Democratic platform? News stations have begun to get into something that should scare all of us and urge everyone to be cautious listeners, viewers, and readers because today, every opinion you have, has been formed for you by the news media.
Long ago, before social media and 24/7 news, we had actual news. It was the kind of news that was facts, and while it may have stirred emotions for you, it wasn’t intended to play off them. If you wanted a biased opinion, then you stuck around for that segment or read it in the newspaper. Now, if you want a biased opinion, you just need to turn on your television. News channels began to compete for higher ratings and soon enough CNN began the trend of 24/7. So, how does a 24/7 news station fill all of its time slots with segments that get you to watch late at night? They add in opinion and they use your emotions to get you fired up and wanting to watch more. A decade or few later, Facebook comes along: a glorified opinion column for the entire world, giving people who have poorly developed arguments a chance to broadcast them.
Our world has become saturated in opinion and our diluted selves are beginning to treat actual facts as “alternative facts” and vice versa. Let me be clear so that my generation will hopefully understand: Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms are not where you should be getting your news. Social media platforms are the Guttenberg Press of fake news. What’s worse is that sometimes people share things from three years ago, thinking it was written this year, and they only read the headline instead of the full article!
So, how do you stop reading fake news? How do you stop getting your opinions formed by someone else? Two things: stop using a middle-man to get your news. Go to the direct website or source for the news rather than using social media to access it. Second, news stations are purposely showing you images to make you angry and sad so that you get rallied up and continue to watch. They don’t care about what’s real or reporting unbiased stories anymore. It’s all about the ratings because now news channels are treating their programs like a scripted television show on ABC instead of treating it like a news channel. When looking at one source, you’re going to get the opinions you agree with and the images you want to see to confirm what you think you know. That’s why you’ve chosen your news channel. If you watch Fox News, I implore you to read the SAME stories on a Democratic news station (CNN or others) and compare and contrast them. What images did they use? What’s the headline versus the Fox headline? Is there any additional information in this story? If so, why wasn’t it in the Fox story? Ask questions and seek out answers on your own, but the most important thing is to seek out the story from ALL points-of-view. People who watch CNN or other Democratic news channels should also find Republican versions of the same story and do the same thing. Seek news information to better understand and form your opinions; do not seek news information just so you can have a few people who agree with you. Nothing was ever solved with a closed-mind and this world is not black and white.
We can find the right information and make intellectual arguments, but the key here is to recognize that we must do it because the news media certainly won’t help anymore.
