The Information You Consume

I consider my three main sources of information to be the local news, professional resources, and the internet. These are my "go-to" sources of information because the news shows me what is happening locally and in the world. The internet is my main source because it can be fast and effective if you make sure the sources are reliable.

How do we know how reliable what we are learning from the media is? Is it a partial truth, an assumption, distorted, or just completely fake?

There can be many reasons the information we get is inaccurate. It could be as simple as unintentional, for example, a witness may have seen only part of the event. That can lead to unintentional incorrect information. It can be deliberate for example, someone may omit some evidence because it weakens their arguments. There is also societal or cultural biases that the reporter or author may be unaware of or dismisses as unimportant.

The internet is one way I personally check out my information and my sources. First, check on who your sources are, and possibly where did they get their information from? for example, the news might not always be accurate due to reporting only what they are given and sometimes from a source that may be a witness, and as I stated earlier may only know part of the event that took place. As for an author, what research did they use to get their information? What was their source? You need to know what kind of research an author does before you can judge its value. That is one reason why in books or articles it is important to pay attention to the end notes, footnotes, and bibliography. Just remember whatever your source is, ask yourself if it is a primary or secondary source. Then decide how much credence to give it.