When it comes to media literacy, there is no quick guide.
Wait. Let me explain.
We currently live in a world where everything is accessible with the click of a button. We have more information at our fingertips than we can ever conceivably read. And, that’s a good thing.
But, it’s also a dangerous thing. Because in order to consume information responsibly, we must understand its context. Both academic research and journalism are written in the context of what came before it. Research builds upon previous research. It assumes that you will know what came before it.
That does not lend itself to an age of sound bites and 280-character social media posts.
More nefariously, there is a lot of information disseminated whose only function is to misinform you.
So, how does one consume news in an age of misinformation?
1. Consume more news.
That’s right. The only way to protect yourself against dueling narratives is to be exposed to them. Diversify the sources that you regularly check so that you are reading a mixture of national and international news; mainstream and new news sources; news that aligns with your beliefs and those that challenge them.
The bias you read will rarely be explicit lies. The deception typically comes in subtle or implicit forms. The only way to protect yourself against those is to be an avid news consumer.
2. Read the news story.
It’s so tempting to just read the headline and maybe skim the first paragraph. And surveys suggest that 8 out of 10 readers never get beyond the headline. But, here’s something you may not know: the journalist does not write the headline for their story. Editors do.
While a journalist may endeavor to educate you, their editor wants to grab your attention. They want you to click into the actual story. That means that headlines are meant to be sensational and an effective hook to persuade you to click into the story (hence: clickbait). But, if you don’t, then you are often left with an incomplete or misleading idea of what the story actually means to convey.
Seriously, @Daily_Express?! A defensive system designed to neutralize terrorist rockets is "terrifying" and "set to be unleashed on Gaza"?!
What a horrifically inaccurate headline to describe something remarkable that will defend civilians & save lives.https://t.co/JLRGzHwXeg pic.twitter.com/seHquw594w
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) October 23, 2023
3. Know your author.
Understanding who is writing what you are reading is an integral part of being an informed consumer of news. Articles are stories – stories meant to inform, to persuade, to deliver a specific narrative. Understanding that narrative, even if you disagree with it, is an important part of media literacy (see #1). But, understanding who is crafting that narrative is equally as important.
In the early days of Operation Iron Swords, CNN and NBC News interviewed a Gaza-based Palestinian architecture student about her experiences. She was allowed to be the voice of innocent Palestinians caught up in the war between Israel and Hamas. In researching her background, HonestReporting uncovered that she had celebrated the October 7 massacre and called for the destruction of Israel. That’s in stark contrast to her calls to “live peacefully.”
4. Look for evidence.
Does the story you are being told include evidence to back up claims? Not all evidence is trustworthy, but the lack of any should raise a red flag. Whether it’s mainstream news, new news sources, or social media, trustworthy sources provide backup to their assertions.
5. Question what you read.
The best defense is a good offense. Strong, declarative statements that frame an issue as black and white want you to buy their narrative without question. But in this post-truth world of deep fakes and artificial intelligence, questions are a good thing.
If something sounds off, question it. Do some research. This can be a simple Google search, a reverse image search, or a social media search. Pictures can be manipulated and facts can be twisted.
Remember that your gut feeling/reaction is not the final arbiter. Just because something “feels” right or wrong, doesn’t make it so.
6. Fact check.
Once you recognize that something needs to be questioned, know what resources are available to you for fact-checking. Below is a guide to some of our favorites, but remember that you can’t rely on just one source. Everyone gets it wrong sometimes.
- Google. The internet can be an incredible source of information. If you see a quote, a statistic, or a blanket statement, your first line of defense is searching out corroborating evidence on the internet.
- Reverse image search. A picture is worth a thousand lies. Before we even broach the topic of AI-generated or Photoshopped images, most images are real but simply taken out of context. There are multiple instances during Operation Iron Swords of photographs from Syria, Yemen and Iraq being used incorrectly and labeled as taking place in Gaza. The image below is a real image of Palestinian kids at a soup kitchen during Ramadan. But it has been republished without context to make it look like Israel puts Palestinian kids in cages. A reverse image search will show you the earliest time it was posted to the internet and in what context.
- Fact-checking websites. Websites like Snopes, FactCheck.org, and BBC Verify exist to do the fact-checking for you. They are a good place to start, but remember that sometimes they get it wrong, too.
- Social media comments. If you’re consuming news on social media, dive into the comments. While this can be a vitriolic area of a post, it’s also a great starting point to see what questions have already been raised about the original post.
7. In short, don’t believe everything (or anything) you read.
Check sources. Verify quotes. Reverse image search. Read the comments. Trust your gut. But, remember that vibes aren’t facts.
With these general guidelines, you will be a better-informed news consumer.
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