Spot Fake News; Get The Truth

 

Zinnias

In my fall garden, especially as flowering is on the wane, I am on the lookout for decay, the need to cut and clear spotted or curled leaves, the need to savor the remnants of growth. This morning, tall-headed—zinnias, orange, white, yellow—leaned into the warming sun. New, fresh buds are about to open. I am grateful for the possibility of fresh color, the possibility of mulberry pink flowers in September.

Would that the approach to news— how to spot decay (fake news), what to cut out and clear (disinformation)— were as obvious. In my last blog column, I offered concrete sites such as FactCheck.org as a resource which provides long-form accounts based upon factual sequences which can mediate presumptive bias. Since my week at Chautauqua on Media and the News, I am on the lookout for blight, spottiness, imbalance, bias in presentation, the shaping of news.

All news is written from a point of view. Over and over, Trump has labeled all mainstream media as fake news. In effect, his words eradicate most of the news media I reply upon for information. Countering his bluster takes effort. Clarity of sources and point of view about what is being written and promulgated in the daily news is essential to maintaining one’s perspective.

Judy Wolfe, in her presentation at Road Scholar’s week at Chautauqua, emphasized that by simply searching for media bias, one can come upon sites and graphs prepared and posted by a variety of people and organizations. In preparation for this blog, I gave it a try. Yes, the effort to discern and impart information about how to manage media bias is impressive. If you want to dig in, learn more about the possibility of what sites are LEAST or MOST biased, I recommend https://mediabiasfactcheck.com as a starter.

This media bias site offers both a chart and lists of news items according to bias categories from Left to Right starting with Left-Bias, Left-Center Bias, Least Biased, Right-Center Bias, Right Bias, Pro-Science, Conspiracy-Pseudoscience, Questionable Sources, Satire.

As a good example, their lead post on September 8, 2017, is titled How The Truth Can Get Damaged in a Hurricane, Too. Take a look at the following examples.

I’m grateful for readily available resources which, with a touch of the finger, can share multiple social media sites and verifiable facts of current events and issues. Hopefully, I have expanded your “get the truth” tool kit in managing true and authentic news and have inspired you to check out a site or two to use as a ballast in this time of Twitter, Facebook and variable news options.

 

 

 

 

4 thoughts on “Spot Fake News; Get The Truth

  1. Hy Kempler

    Faye
    I appreciate your info and will check them out. But it is discouraging that you have to check out virtually everything reported. What’s gotten gotten into us?
    You asked to renter my email address. can’t find place to do it.
    Hy

    1. fayewriter Post author

      I have two thoughts. First, to be aware when something sounds “fishy” to check out the source and the validity of the information. Second, if enough of us are mindful about the possibility of disinformation, we can inform others on social media, etc. and help maintain accurate reporting.
      I don’t know of you received this blog in your e-mail today. If so, you are okay. If not, there should be a subscriber link to the right of the most recent blog. Enter your new e-mail. Thanks!

  2. Pat

    Faye… thank you for all the investigative work it is most helpful. It is so difficult to discern at times all the crazy information that comes our way . I must admit most if not all of what trump says I simply dismiss . Love the access to these sites for accurate information!

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