I like to think that when I read about news, I try and read the most independent sources first, then I read 1 right-leaning outlet followed by a left-leaning outlet. For example, I would start by reading the news on a particular topic in the Wall Street Journal and The Associated Press. Then, I would head over to Fox News and CNN to understand what the two parties say about the situation. In my opinion, this is a great way to get a broad perspective on the news I am pursuing.
After identifying my top news outlet that I go to, I decided to use the Interactive Media Bias Chart to put my opinions into perspective. This was the result:
After spending 30 minutes analyzing what the interactive chart spit out, I was quite shocked. First off, I am content with my process of reading the news. I believe I get a fair assessment of right and left-leaning news, which forces me to make my own decisions and my own critical thoughts. However, this is not what shocked me. When I saw how many Fox News and CNN articles were considered “fake news,” I almost passed out. This means that much of the information that I, and my fellow Americans, take in could be irrelevant and misleading. Let’s get hypothetical (or maybe inevitable reality?) for a moment. In 20 years, news outlets will begin to release more and more of this “fake news,” pumping false narratives to anyone and everyone that will listen. As people begin to learn about this, they will acquire a sense of distrust of everything. If a country’s citizens can not trust even the slightest information, this will lead to chaos and turmoil. This potential issue is imperative to find a solution to or else the end of Democracy will be coming closer to its end quicker than we think.