I’ve seen multiple posts on Facebook from people leaving FB in favor of other social media sites which provide a less censored source for news and information. Many people site their support of the 1st Amendment (which provides freedom of the press and speech) as the reason.
It’s my belief the issue is more fundamental than Facebook (or any media platform) censoring…it’s about trust.
Who do you trust and why?
This may be cynical or naïve of me but…
Isn’t all news biased or censored in some way? How can it not be?
Although a reporter gathers the info, his life experiences color what he sees and reports. Even though his job is to collect the facts – the who, what, when, where, and why – he obtains those facts through the prism of his life experiences.
In turn, the reporter works with a writer (and thus another prism) to make the story informational and interesting…turning into a “news story”.
Multiple editors, producers, and anchors are also involved in the creation process. Someone, somewhere signs off and the “news story” is aired/printed for consumption by the general public. The “news story” ultimately generates ratings/sales; from which income is generated.
Thus, the better the ratings, the more advertisers can be charged and “the bigger, better and more entertaining” the next news cycle must be…
…but at what cost to “who, what, when, where and why”?
Is “news” news or has it become “entertainment”? Are Facebook & other social media platforms acceptable sources for news or should they simply be viewed as entertainment and buyer beware?
Maybe I am just that cynical and naïve…maybe…
Who do you trust for news and why?
How do you receive “the news”? Newsprint like your local paper, The Washington Post, or Wall Street Journal? Digitally? Podcasts? News magazines like Time & Newsweek? TV/cable news? NPR?
Do you perform your own “fact checking/ story cross-checking” or rely on someone else who you trust…and why do you specifically trust them?
Are you open to other sources that may challenge your point of view or open your eyes to how “the news” is reported in the US? Do you utilize news sources available outside of the United States that report on the US like Reuters, BBC News, or NHK News?
Do you even care?
These are certainly tough questions. Questions without easy answers. Answers each and every one of us must decide for ourselves. Answers that will help us understand ourselves, the country in which we live, and our world.
I’d like to share one final thought…
I’ve learned that the news generated from inside the fishbowl is often vastly different from the news generated from the outside looking in. In fact, the contrast is quite startling. I don’t know if this difference is good or bad. Sometimes, simply acknowledging that a difference exists offers a place to launch a journey of exploration and investigation.
And I like that.
I can do that – explore and investigate.
How ’bout you?
Dan’s View 