The never-truth era: Media and belief

What do you believe when it comes to ...?

It is a pretty common question but there is a more important one I think, Why do you believe...?

I find it interesting these days when people talk about Fake News as if there is something other. Yes, there are actors spreading all kinds of propaganda and engineered data but when it comes to news, it is rarely factual. For the most part, it is opinionated, skewed and there are agendas at play. This is why two news outlets can have such wide variances in position on the same topic. If they were talking fact, positions would be much more closely aligned.

I have always found it interesting that people trust news services even though when they know about a topic in the news, they can pick out errors consistently. Everyone should assume that every article carries at least the same level of error that an article they know a great deal about holds. That means there is a lot of trash in the news, doesn't it?

So, why are you watching, reading, listening? What do you get out of it? How affected are you?

People like to get information that agrees with their world view and the news they get is no different, it is entertainment that satisfies an emotional need. They watch what they like because it supports them and feels good and, what they don't like because it feels good to disagree with other groups. How many actually question their preferences either way though, how many question why they have preferences at all?

After all, if one is watching the news and wanting the best information, preference as to what that information is should have no bearing on the enjoyment whatsoever. People should be just as happy to get information that supports them as information that contradicts them.

If one could guarantee that every bit of information they received was factual, would they want that? What would happen to preferences and beliefs if one can be 100% guaranteed that the information provided is in actual fact, fact? Would that be the kind of world you would want to live in? What would that world look like, what would our dreams of the future look like if we actually knew what was factual in each moment?

It isn't going to happen though is it? Even 'to the best of my knowledge' is not going to come close to fact and the news services have no qualms about positioning their information to meet their own ends. Either to drive the message they want to drive or get the traffic and time on site they most definitely crave.

The news media has been devoid of ethical consideration for a long time and the first thing on the cutting block was truth. It isn't the post-truth era now, it was the never-truthful era and always has been. As soon as value was added to holding or providing information, truth was bound to suffer as it become a competitive advantage to push one position over another, withhold here, embellish there.

Try this, pick up an article on a topic you know a great deal about and pick out the errors and the question marks within it. How many were there? Next, pick up an article you know nothing about and pick out the same number of errors.

Next, pick up an article on a topic you strongly agree with and pick out the same number of errors again. Do the same with an article you strongly disagree with too.

Hows it going? How objective are you when you are reading these articles? How willing are you to disagree or agree with what has been presented? Who was telling the truth, Clinton or Trump?

Without fact, we act on our beliefs but when we read what we read and believe it as fact, we are opening ourselves up to the skewed views of an agenda'd broadcaster. Just because they say what we want to hear, it doesn't mean what they present is worthy of knowing or acting upon now that our own position is good.

We live in a world where our knowledge about the current events of that world signals our level of education or qualification yet, if that information is obtained through news and personal/group motivations, you can almost be guaranteed that it is filled with errors. The closest we can ever get to the facts of a situation is to have lived it and even that is filtered through our own tinted glasses.

In my opinion, we should be much more discerning with the information we open ourselves up to and allow into our decision making centres. We should question that information regardless of how we feel about it or, if it makes a mockery of what we believe. Belief can change as it is not fact. Actions can change also for that is what action is, a changing of position.

The problem with fake news isn't that people are reading it, it is that people are believing it and acting upon it. Perhaps if we asked 'why we believe what we do' a little more, we would be better able to identify how we are manipulated and, who is doing the manipulating.

In my opinion, one doesn't need 98% of the news that is ever broadcast and the 2% that is required can be found from more reputable, specialized sources. What I have found from my own experience is that the people who consume the most news and are proud of their worldly knowledge, know the least about the practical nature of the world itself.

They have bought into the illusion and it makes them feel good.

Taraz
[ a Steemit original ]