Media literacy
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
Recognize that modern news often tells you what to think rather than reporting events.
The dynamic has shifted from reporting facts for you to conclude on, to telling you conclusions while leaving you to deduce what happened.
one person who lived it
Be highly skeptical of headlines or articles that appear to tell you what to think.
They likely have an agenda and may be pushing paid public opinions for profit.
one person who lived it
Read news from political perspectives that oppose your own periodically.
Seeing both views can help you change your mind on subjects; extremist media often report lies or half-truths.
one person who lived it
Read the full article to find its actual point, rather than relying on headlines that may serve an agenda or be misleading.
Headlines with adjectives often serve someone's agenda and can give false insight into the facts.
2 people, independently
Use the phrase 'Mazel tov' for ambiguous news that could result in either good or bad luck.
The phrase means 'congratulations and/or good luck,' making it suitable for uncertain outcomes.
one person who lived it
Include international outlets like Al Jazeera in your news diet to counterbalance domestic biases.
Their different biases serve as a counterweight to implicit biases in local systems and provide world news often ignored by Anglophone outlets.
- These outlets are not without bias themselves.
one person who lived it
Respond to ambiguous news with a non-committal phrase like 'all right' to prompt the speaker to provide further information.
This approach often leads to receiving the remaining details in the next sentence.
one person who lived it
Do not let news headlines power your emotions.
Writers purposely bait outrage to drive engagement because faux outrage is profitable.
one person who lived it
- Question headlines using emotionally charged language like 'brilliant' or 'destroys'.1