“PETA ‘grills’ dog in disturbing vegan promo,” “Hollywood star wishes she had not taken risqué photos when she was younger,” “Couple, dogs trapped in mountains by snow survive 2-week ordeal,” “Loaded grenade launcher left at Florida Goodwill store,” “Michael Cohen subpoenaed by Senate Intelligence Committee,” and “White House ‘scrambling’ to find out why Trump called back prankster from Air Force One.”
In today’s media landscape it can be hard to distinguish what’s real, what’s been sensationalized and what is backed solely by someone’s opinion. These headlines are an example that not all news articles are clear about what exactly happened. News literacy, the ability to distinguish truth from the sensational, is an important tool for anyone who is perusing the web or a newspaper.
Most of the time content is separated out into categories like opinions, political happenings and events across the globe. But how can you tell if something in the entertainment or business section is truly news or just someone sharing their thoughts?
Looking for multiple sources cited in the article is a good way to determine if something that has been reported is true. When one person says the sky is falling it could just be their opinion. When a scientist or trusted figure with more information agrees that the sky is falling, the information has been verified by more than one source, making it more reliable. The chances that the people who provided information are wrong decreases when you have a larger number all saying the same thing.
Bias is something else to be wary of. A number of news stories may seem unbiased but when looking at overall content of news sites the stories they choose to publish can reveal a conservative or liberal slant. Individuals who comment on an event or provide information may also have bias or be pushing an agenda.
Question their interests of why they would be sharing the information and what they have to gain or lose by speaking with the press. Political figures may be on different sides about a bill. Chances are the politicians who proposed it may offer a more positive viewpoint on it when speaking to the press.
At the Branding Iron we do our best to label our articles for our readers to identify our opinion, editorial, letters to the editor, sports, news and feature articles. While our scope is significantly smaller than The New York Times or CNN we do our best to bring you unbiased, objective information.
We hope you continue to enjoy our content and challenge yourselves to look beyond bias and sensationalism.
