To be a good consumer of information one must learn to separate the wheat from the chaff. In this modern world, we are drowned in a constant stream of information. Some of it is worthwhile, but most is trivial at best and misleading at worst. Beware the propaganda machine. See previous post: http://pageposts1123.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-propaganda-machine.html
Aside from out right propaganda, we also have misleading or trivial information to sort. How does the savvy consumer sort it all out? How do we evaluate the credibility and reliability of sources of information in the media? One technique is to compare multiple sources. Are they all on the same page? Always remember that anyone can post their opinions without being scrutinized for accuracy. Even in traditional media, i.e. magazines and newspapers, we've seen an appalling lack of oversight and down right misleading stories. Think Rolling Stone and New York Times.
We all suffer from information overload. The chaff is choking us. Sifting is hard work. If you are a serious consumer and want to truly know how to evaluate sources, then please read this PDF on how to do it: http://www.cqpress.com/docs/cq_researcher_v18-27_internet_accuracy.pdf
This is a comprehensive manual and well worth the read. I will leave you with a quote from the article: "Becoming a journalist in the traditional media has always required jumping through a few hoops to prove oneself. But you can get on the web and call yourself a journalist without any scrutiny or credentials. My motto: Question everything!
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