No one is above falling for misinformation
Yes, that includes you.
Happy Friday, friends.
In our current political and media landscape, it feels important to remember that we should all be taking the time to make sure the information we’re consuming is accurate, credible and unbiased. This probably feels reductive for me to say on a Substack that is read by a lot of media professionals but, I assure you, it is not.
I can only speak for myself, but I think in some ways being a journalist – a job that requires the retaining and reporting of information CONSTANTLY – makes me prone to being more lax when I’m off the clock. I’m often tired and want information to come easily to me when I’m not working. NPR did a Life Kit episode on tips for spotting misinformation a few years ago that touched on this. During the episode, they discussed how people who consume a lot of information are often susceptible to misinformation.
I recommend sending the Life Kit episode to folks in your life who often struggle with parsing out credible sourcing online. The episode also explained how seemingly harmless, entertaining videos on social media can reinforce harmful stereotypes and beliefs. It’s good reminder, especially when Google has increasingly become less useful as a search engine and younger folks are getting their information from social media platforms such as TikTok.
Those of us who are in the media should also remember to pause and ask the same questions we incorporate into our reporting processes when we’re in bed doomscrolling on social media late at night.
My friend and colleague Nicole Carr launched a newsletter recently that is worth a subscription. Fortify is where she will write about “what strengthens our collective existence when we lean into history and art to practice our journalism, cement our public memory, commit to pro-democracy actions and resist powers that seek to crush the soul of society and culture.”
I have 5 gift subscriptions that provide one month of Fortify for free. If you’re interested, drop a comment below.
I bought an 80-piece marker set because I need to lean into hobbies that do not involve my phone or computer. I’ve spent most evenings this week coloring before bed as a means of unwinding and I’m really enjoying it so far.
This solo activity has reminded me how much I genuinely enjoy my own company. I was raised as an only child and often had to entertain myself as a kid. And, while I love spending time with friends and am genuinely trying to be more present this year, I’ve needed more alone time than usual recently.
Coloring has also been a useful exercise as I’ve been working to tap more into my creative side.
I think about misinformation fairly often, especially when I’m chatting with folks that regularly consume TikTok 🥴. It’s v scary.
I like to think I don’t consume much media but I a still think the misinformation seeps in when I’m scrolling YT — usually via it’s cousin aka “click bait videos.” It’s when my eyebrows raise.
Shout out to you for making time to color and decompress. More each day I think about how I can consume even less of the outside world and achieve more quiet. I really want a flip phone where only like 5 people have the number, tbh.