(Newswire.net — January 10, 2021) —
How many times have you seen a news report only to find yourself frustrated that the reporter hasn’t shared all the facts? For most people, this is a daily reality. Both sides of every argument tend to be presented in subjective ways that make it hard to get factual information. In fact, trying to find factual information published by media outlets is like trying to find a coffee bean in a mud puddle.
Most people are aware that media bias exists. Poll data published by the Daily Caller shows that 86% of Americans think the media is biased.
If you want to get the full scoop on a story, you’ve got to be the investigative journalist. You’ve got to seek out reliable sources and dig deep for the facts. Sometimes, that’s difficult. When you don’t have much to go on because the media isn’t reporting everything, where do you even start?
Finding the objective truth about a story isn’t impossible, but it does require certain skills and strategies. If you’re tired of subjective media bias, here’s what you can do to get the full scoop on the stories that spark your interest.
1. Find a truly objective (or at least varied) news source
Whether you lean left, right, or center, the only way you’re going to get the full scoop on any story is by getting your news reports from people with varied opinions. If you rely on one news outlet or network for all of your content, you’ll be disappointed.
You need to either start getting your news from multiple networks that lean left, right, and center, or find a source for news that provides a genuine variety of opinions.
For instance, ground.news publishes stories from a variety of perspectives and takes objectivity to a whole new level. The site provides an app and browser extension that tells you how many news outlets have covered a particular story, the percentage of coverage that leans left, right, or center, and includes links to all the articles that factor into their calculations.
If you’re looking for a variety of news sources to get the full scoop on a story, ground.news is a beneficial resource.
2. Seek out Republican points of view
This advice applies regardless of your political affiliation. The reason you want to seek out Republican points of view is because Republicans are underrepresented in the media. For example, statistics published by the Daily Wire reveal that only 7% of journalists are republican and in 2016, there were no republican White House journalists. The data also shows that an overwhelming majority of media donations go to Democratic candidates.
Seeking out Republican views will help you gain perspective that you probably haven’t even been exposed to. If the media isn’t presenting many Republican views, unless you already consume media from this particular POV, you’re unlikely to catch these views elsewhere.
This advice also applies to any other points of view that are underrepresented in the media. Whether that’s religious points of view or other political parties.
3. Don’t rely on social media for your full perspective
Since social media tends to suggest videos your friends have watched and liked, if all of your friends share the same political affiliation as you, you’re not going to get many options for differing views.
Don’t rely on social media to catch the full story about any situation that’s happening in the world. Instead, use social media to your advantage and start watching videos and reading articles from different points of view. If you start consuming content from differing points of view, you’ll start getting a variety of suggestions from those differing points of view.
4. Take a break from your echo chamber
An echo chamber is essentially a group of people who share your views. When you get together, you agree with each other on most, if not all of your points. Nobody learns anything new or has their views challenged in a healthy debate that has the potential to expand their mind.
If you want to get the full scoop on a story, you’ve got to step outside of your echo chamber. Take a break from discussing the topic with people who nod their heads in agreement with everything you say.
Find people who don’t agree with you and start following them on social media. Read what they read. Get involved in their discussions and ask questions to better understand their views.
Getting to the facts is simple, but not easy
Finding facts is a simple process, but requires investigation. However, if you follow these tips, you’ll have an easier time getting the full scoop on the stories that interest you.