The Truth Matters

INTRODUCTION

Once upon a time, Americans could read their local newspaper, subscribe to a weekly newsmagazine, and watch thirty minutes of national news on television each night, and be reasonably sure they knew every- thing important and newsworthy that they needed to know to live their lives.

Those days are long gone. Newspapers have shrunk their news coverage drastically, the newsweeklies are shadows of their former selves, and the network eve- ning broadcasts are viewed by only a fraction of their previous viewership.

At the same time, there are now a number of cable news channels that broadcast twenty-four hours a day, every day; virtually every traditional news source is now available on the Internet; and there are thousands of new Internet news sources constantly competing for our attention. News junkies love the proliferation of news outlets and the many new ways of obtaining it on their phones, on Twitter, Facebook, and elsewhere. But the average person is overwhelmed by the cacophony of information. Many simply tune out altogether and have become less informed about the news that affects them, while others consume only the sliver of news that interests them, whether it be sports, entertainment, or the stock market. When it comes to politics, there is a growing tendency to obtain news only from sources favorable to one s ideological or partisan point of view.

Many people crave a simpler time before cable and the Internet, but of course it is impossible to put the toothpaste back in the tube. Rather, we must adapt to the evolving news landscape. We must also learn to be more discerning about our news sources and beware of fake news or alternative facts, which are propa- gated by people interested only in maximizing clicks, even if it means peddling lies and half-truths, or even by foreign governments using our own freedom of speech against us to pursue their own agenda at our expense.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 1

1. Why the Traditional Media No Longer Serves Our Needs 5
2. The Difference Between Primary and Secondary Sources 13
3. How to Use Links 21
4. Confusing Press Conventions 29
5. Journalistic Techniques That May Obfuscate Rather Than Illuminate Sources 37
6. Trusting Academic Sources 45
7. What Your Local Library Has to Offer in Terms of News 53
8. Numbers Must Be Put into Context 59
9. Beware of Deceptive Labeling 69
10. The Perils of Polling 77
11. Using Wikipedia 87
12. The Problem of Fake News 95
13. Designing Your Own Newspaper 103 14. Editorial Opinions 111
15. How to Fight Fake News 119