Social media is one of the ways that our world is changing at a dizzying pace. Fortunately the Millennial generation is used to this pace. Those of us that are older are may be not quite as able to handle the speed at which things are presented on the internet, but we're holding our own. This past election cycle has exposed an issue that all thinking people will need to address for themselves; false news stories.
The first thing I need to say is that when you, the reader, reads my posts, I make a habit of indicating what is my belief or opinion or view. I will work to be diligent about stating whether information is a fact or not, and when I state something is a fact, I will back it up w/quality research. An example would be when I have stated that certain governmental procedures need to be followed, I have quoted the law; "chapter and verse". Another practice I will follow is to note what my sources are, for information that I present as fact.
It, of course, slows down assimilation of information to corroborate news stories, but in order to make informed decisions, it is the only way. Just because a news item is passed to you by someone you trust, on Facebook for example, doesn't make it true. This is not to say that the person you trust is attempting to give you false information. Maybe they didn't check out the story they are passing along. Some 'news' items may not be worth your time & effort, but if the info you are looking at is going inform you or be part of what will inform you, regarding an important decision, then you are the person that you have to trust to determine the veracity of that information, or not......that's your choice.
So......how to do this, after all anyone (including news sources) can be fooled by 'news'. When it comes to items that are based in law, you don't need a lawyer. What I do is search for state or federal laws on the web that apply to the question at hand, read carefully, follow the trail laid down in the law to make sure I understand all paths that the law is connected to. It's the same as reading a contract. If it is a story that does not involve legal research, I have sources for news that I trust. It certainly is not my place to say what is or what is not a credible source for news. I do want to note that we all have our prejudices. Being aware of them, may keep you away from news sources that are simply "preaching to the choir". Also, it may be a good idea to cross check stories between news sources to see if there is agreement with reference to the "facts" that are presented. If two sources disagree, a third source would be a good idea to see if there is agreement between the third source and one of the first two sources that have been looked at.
My goal, here, has not been to 'preach'. I thought it was a good idea to remind myself and you the readers that in our increasingly fast paced world, deception and misdirection are increasingly easy and is certainly occurring.
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