Media consumption
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Stop watching 24-hour news channels entirely.
Their business model relies on creating negative content and spoon-feeding fear to make money, which is bad for the mind.
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Be skeptical of studies or case studies cited in news or ads.
Funding sources can bias results to favor the sponsor.
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Read the 'Politics this week' section of The Economist for a concise synopsis of world news.
It provides a great synopsis in a short time.
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Read the full article instead of relying on social media posts or headlines alone.
Headlines are often made bombastic to get clicks.
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Check other news sources in the days following a major event to find stories buried by larger headlines.
Most bad news gets buried beneath bigger world news.
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Read provincial court records when media bans prevent news coverage of legal cases.
The documents are written fairly well with no filler.
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Do not use Jon Stewart or similar entertainers as a source for balanced news.
They are biased.
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Consume multiple global news sources and listen to accounts from people living in affected areas.
There is no unbiased news; this helps counter bias during major incidents.
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If your news source ignores major stories covered by other reputable outlets, switch to a different source.
Unless the story was broken in error, the alternative source is likely more reliable.
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Do not confuse 'casualties' with 'deaths' when reading war reports.
Casualties include killed, wounded, missing, and captured personnel.
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When a politician makes an outrageous statement that grabs headlines, investigate what else is happening at the same time to detect distraction tactics.
Outrageous statements can act as a 'dead cat' distraction, causing people to focus only on the shock value rather than other issues.
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Avoid news outlets that use inflammatory or emotionally charged language like 'crazy' or 'owned'.
Such language indicates the outlet is propaganda rather than objective news.
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Follow the money to understand the motivations behind news coverage and legislation.
Following the money usually equals following the motivation.
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When a brand faces controversy, look for lawsuits or scandals involving its parent company.
Parent companies may have serious legal or ethical issues unrelated to the specific brand controversy.
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Follow the money behind attack commercials to identify the true motivations of donors, especially for propositions and referendums.
Tracing donations reveals leading donors such as large clinic chains.
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