Modern Journalism is a Dumpster Fire, Stop Getting Burned

A Media and Information Literacy Primer

Cross posted from The Collective Substack

Dec 27, 2024

For the last thirty years, we have been connected to a 24-hour source of entertainment and communication. Now used for more than just porn, the internet has delighted billions of people with angry cat videos, Chocolate Rain, TikTok dance challenges, and self-proclaimed lifestyle coaches. We’ve made celebrities out of people entertaining themselves during the pandemic, when the world shut down and we were left to our own devices. Literally.

But much more insidious than this is the constant and deliberate access to misinformation. From yellow journalism¹, all the way to conspiracy theory bloggers, we have far surpassed saturation. These days, the average person is most often unwilling to look beyond clickbait headlines, or to vet a story that should be unbelievable, because it confirms their bias immediately so they can move on to the next headline or post.

Doomscrolling² is no longer a habit, but an intention. The content that is often harvested during a doomscroll is teeming with racist rhetoric, trans and homophobia, misogyny, and other harmful ideologies. If you think you’re immune—knock it off. Once we become so full of ourselves that we can’t conceive of falling for this type of marketing is when we become the victims. Before you repost a shocking headline, repeat some juicy celeb gossip, or wax poetic about an article you didn’t even read—take a deep breath, delete what you’re typing, and get to work.

STOP BELIEVING EVERYTHING YOU READ WITHOUT VETTING THE SOURCE OF THE INFORMATION

The Weaponization of Misinformation: Viral Hate

• The Haitian Cat-Eating Hoax: During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union”, host Dana Bash asked then Republican Vice Presidential candidate JD Vance if the stories surrounding Haitian immigrants eating neighborhood pets in an Ohio town was a story he made-up, the VP Elect answered “Yes!” and claimed that the stories he made up were based on reports from “constituents” before going on to state that he needed to “create stories so that the…media actually pays attention to the suffering of American people.” He added that he and the President Elect did that to call attention to the large Haitian population in Springfield, Ohio.

This story spread like COVID on a cruise ship, calling out to racists everywhere. Never mind that not a single public official in Springfield would or could substantiate it, or that the video being referenced was of a natural born American woman in a city three hours to the north. Neither of these facts matter, because people wanted to believe the lie, it suited their confirmation bias^3.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/sep/15/jd-vance-lies-haitian-immigrants

• The “Litter Box in Schools” Lie: Remember the absurd claim that schools were installing litter boxes as accommodations for students who identified as cats? I personally know someone who recited this article to me as an argument against gender affirming care. A dangerously transphobic fabrication that was written as generically as possible, without location or name of a school, or the school official the reporter was allegedly interviewing.

The lack of discernment from readers further weaponized an ignorance and hatred that already existed toward trans people. A Nebraska state lawmaker even cited this rumor during a televised debate for a bill geared toward assisting children with behavioral problems in school.

This rumor cannot be traced to a single source any longer, because the absurd claim had spread all the way to state capitals and ignorant podcasters with broad audiences.

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/misinformation/urban-myth-litter-boxes-schools-became-gop-talking-point-rcna51439

WTF Are We Thinking? The Psychology of Misinformation

Our brains are wired to seek out patterns and make connections. This makes us susceptible to misinformation, especially when it confirms our existing biases or plays on our fears. Add to that the echo chambers of social media, where we’re constantly exposed to information that reinforces our worldview, and it’s no wonder we sometimes fall for the lies.

As humans, our brains are built to make connections and recognize patterns. Because of this, we often are susceptible to misinformation when it confirms our biases and fears. Add this fact in with our collective fascination with content creators who purposely mislead to garner engagement and increase their payday, we are constantly bombarded with false information that reinforces our preexisting worldviews. Complacency in that regard leads to the virality of disinformation⁴.

This Place Is a Circus: Red Flags to Look For

The internet is a minefield of misinformation. Here are some red flags to help you spot those sneaky falsehoods:

In a minefield of disinformation, misinformation, and sometimes even malinformation⁵, the internet can be a dangerous place. Below are some red flags to look out for to help you identify potentially false and harmful reporting:

Got the Sauce?:

• Always check the bylines! If an article has no author listed, or if the author listed has no other credentials, the website has no “About Us” or a link to contact—chances are very good that the article you’re reading is pure bullpucky.
• Terrible Website Design: A distinct lack of UXD training, grammar and spelling errors that surpass the realm of typos, and a lot of personal opinions that have no supporting citations—are all signs that the website you are on is not a reliable source.
• Check the Address: Always look at the URL before you click on it, anything that looks questionable probably is questionable. Some links are to foreign news sites that are automatically translated to English—these are not necessarily unreliable, but you will want to compare with news sites that are trustworthy.
• Sensational headlines: If it sounds too wild to be true, it most likely isn’t true at all.

Pay Attention to the Content:

• Emotional manipulation: Credible journalism does not prey on your emotions, whether it’s fear or outrage. These emotions often cloud our judgment and cause us to share the content as a reaction or a call to action. This is how people get hurt, and this is how rhetoric is born.
• Lack of evidence: Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. If a story lacks sources or relies on anecdotal evidence, be skeptical.

As we’ve seen before, some reports are way too wild to be believed, but they’re still credible and factual. But always make sure to look for the evidence. If the headlines claim something extraordinary, the article must provide evidence that is equally extraordinary. If the evidence is anecdotal, sparce, or difficult to vet—disregard and look for additional sources before believing.

• Strawmen Deserve to Burn: Pay attention to the language used. Ad hominem (personal) attacks, false dichotomies (this or that), what-abouts (distracting), and strawman arguments (misrepresentation of the facts) have no place in responsible journalism.
• Two Sides to Every Story (Unfortunately): Credible Journalists will present all sides of a story and leave out their personal views. If an article is focused on one side of a narrative without mentioning opposing views, it is either poorly researched or heavily biased.
• Manipulating or Misrepresentation: Presenting data out of context or selectively choosing data to support a particular narrative is a common tactic used to mislead.A popular tactic used is to misrepresent data. Whether presenting in the wrong context, out of context, or purposely choosing outdated data to support a narrative—these are easy enough to debunk with quick searches. I use Pew Research Center a lot when I need to verify if the data presented was used correctly or misrepresented. https://www.pewresearch.org/

Don’t Take It Lying Down: Be a Disinformation Warrior

• Question Everything: Find out where the infrastructure comes from, what evidence supports it, and what is the agenda?
• Check Sources: Is it a reputable news organization with a track record of accuracy? Or is it some random blog with a questionable domain name? (Looking at you, www.aliensarereal.com.)Is the link to some random website you’ve never heard of that has a questionable name? There are quite a few news sites that are being spoofed with domain extensions like abcnews.com.co, but there are also websites that want you to believe that they’re unbiased but are incredibly biased, like The Federalist or Breitbart.
• Find an Expert: If you aren’t confident in your own abilities, consult a trusted friend or an expert in Media & Information Literacy (MIL) to help you navigate. MIL is bipartisan, even if it seems most of us who have taken on this mantle are more progressive left.
• Stop and Think: Don’t contribute to the problem by spreading misinformation. If you’re not sure about something, don’t share it.

Before you share anything, whether it is a meme or an article, make sure it is not just factual, but credible as well. Even the most honest reporting can be disregarded if the writer is known to be problematic. If it’s factual, there will always be another source with the necessary credentials.

It’s Dangerous To Go Alone, Take This With You:

To be completely honest, total objectivity is so rare it may as well be a unicorn, but there are several publications that do strive for accuracy. Below are a few examples:

• Associated Press (AP): Minimal bias and fact-based reporting.
• Reuters: Known for being impartial, Reuters has had a few issues recently featuring more biased pieces, but still manages to main integrity in the bulk of its reporting.
• The Guardian (UK and US): A British newspaper that grew into a global news organization, known for its unbiased reporting. If you want the news with just the facts as they are available, and continually updated as new information becomes available, this is a great source.
• The Conversation: This is a valuable source from scholars and experts who write for a non-academic audience. Strict editorial standards and stricter fact checking, all participants are required to adhere to global editorial policies. Complete disclosure of funding and relevant interests is required of all authors.
• Google Scholar: A specialized search engine for scholarly and peer-reviewed papers and studies, as well as access to dissertations and thesis on several subjects. Created to facilitate access to authoritative sources, Google Scholar is a great tool for verifying information

It’s High Stakes: Why It Matters

Misinformation has real-world consequences. It can erode trust in institutions, fuel social divisions, and even incite violence. By becoming more discerning consumers of information, we can help create a more informed and equitable society.

Misinformation isn’t just annoying; it is often damaging. At the low end of the spectrum, it can create distrust of organizations meant to help, and at the other it often incites violence. Misinformation and hate crimes go hand in hand and has often been used as a tool of white supremacy. By training ourselves to be more discerning when consuming information, we open ourselves up to becoming more informed and armed with the tools needed for change.

So, before you read a meme or a headline and are moved to immediately share—stop. There is truth behind every story, but it may not be the headline or article that you read. Do not share or spread until you have verified the facts.

Think before you act.

1. Yellow journalism is most often confused with “clickbait.” This is a type of journalism that is sensational and exaggerated to attract broader audiences and increased circulation. In the modern age, this translates to more clicks and conversions, which results in more money for the writer or the publication.

2. Doomscrolling is the habit of spending an excessive amount of time intentionally seeking out and interacting with negative content as entertainment.

3. Confirmation bias is a person’s habit of favoring misinformation without question because it confirms a preconceived belief or value. Once this bias is confirmed, it is very difficult to convince them of anything else.

4. Disinformation is false information used deliberately to mislead, whereas misinformation is simply inaccurate or false without ill intent.

5. Malinformation is when facts are purposely misrepresented or distorted in such a way that it can be used to inflict harm on a person or a group of people. An example would be revenge porn.