It is important for everyone in a functioning society to seek out the best information / facts possible. Listening to politicians, or like minded friends on social media, may be the worst way to get good information. Independently verify any facts that seem lopsided for, or against, any side. They are usually misleading (at best).
Getting trapped in an echo chamber that reinforces our own biases is easy to do when watching Fox News, CNN etc.. They are entertainment outlets, as are their on-line, radio, and newspaper equivalents. Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Rachel Maddow, Jake Tapper, Don Lemon and their colleagues wake up every morning and spend their time trying to find ways to spin to their viewers the message that their brand of politician/politics has done everything right and the other side is evil and trying to tear down our society. Seek out better sources. The opinion portion of the news has a role, but always seek out a balance i.e. listen to the side that you do not normally agree with also.
I try to rely on written news and stick with the “neutral” category from sources like this:
https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/media-bias-chart
The free market is starting to put some new tools in place to help:
Ground.News marks each story with what sites are covering the story and their media bias. The most useful part of the tool may be the “blind spot” section where you can find stories that your favorite media may not even be covering.
Credder Give you: “Credibility scores on thousands of authors and outlets, rated by verified journalists and readers like you.” That is useful to ensure that you have a trustworthy source.
NewsGuard NewsGuard is a browser plugin that will tell you if a site is reliable as you browse online news.
Social media providers labeling, removing etc. posts or deplatforming people will not adequately protect us, and it may even be dangerous, since they are unlikely to be bias free despite the best of intentions. See my article on The “Power” of Social Media Over Free Speech.
Just my opinion. What do you think? Let me know in the comments.
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Update 1/26/21
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