How Do You Decide What News to Trust?

[Moderator]

The US just lost its status as a liberal democracy in a major global index — largely because of attacks on the press. But beyond the headlines, how do you personally decide what sources to trust? What’s your media literacy practice, and what do you wish more Americans knew how to do?

[Craig]

Paying attention to they way a writer presents news can reveal bias. I watch for descriptive terms that promote a point of view such as, “liberal,” “conservative,” “radical,” and pay attention to how the reporter/author uses them. Words that modify actions such as, “might,” “may,” “could,” “should,” when used to describe real events can also mislead a reader away from facts. Despite what I find, I feel It’s important to check more than one story on important subjects to gain perspective. Not only different U.S.-based sources, but also publishers based in democratic societies including Canada and Europe.

[Author]

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