Who knew? Lawyers skills can be applied in the wild. The same way that lawyers and judges figure out whether statements from witnesses are worthy of belief, we can figure out whether statements from reporters are likewise trustworthy.
When reading an article, listening to a podcast, or watching a video, pay attention to
- the source of the author’s information, and
- the details of the author’s information that can be verified, and
- the proven track-record of the author in the past
Your goal is to find markers of credibility and reliability.
Reviewing these points will help you, the news consumer, figure out the credibility of the information the author is giving you. Many times it helps to check at least three different sources for the same topic to determine the accuracy of details. When possible, check the original sources.
I find I turn away from articles or videos that use too many emotionally-driven adjectives as I find these to be largely untrustworthy sources. Hijacking emotions of the reader/viewer is a classic disinformation technique. More on this in an upcoming post. Hopefully.
All of this takes work! That’s why I’ve listed some of favorite, go-to news & politics content-providers. (See my Trustworthy Sources post.) They are occasionally on the ground news reporters, but usually they curate news from many sources and present it – and discuss it – in straightforward ways. They speak with integrity. If they get something wrong, they own up to it. They reveal their sources and don’t try to inflame. I am personally endorsing these “content providers” (as multimedia authors are called I guess) as having – through their track records over time for accuracy, authenticity, and intelligent conversation – proven to be reliable and solid.
They inject their own personality and humor into their work. And best of all, they respect their audiences and assume our attention spans lasts enough to keep up with the ongoing stories of our lifetimes.
Deadheads for Democracy 