WEBVTT 00:00:08.139 --> 00:00:11.122 How do you know what's happening in your world? 00:00:11.122 --> 00:00:13.621 The amount of information just a click away 00:00:13.621 --> 00:00:15.281 may be limitless, 00:00:15.281 --> 00:00:17.098 but the time and energy we have 00:00:17.098 --> 00:00:20.233 to absorb and evaluate it is not. 00:00:20.233 --> 00:00:23.148 All the information in the world won't be very useful 00:00:23.148 --> 00:00:25.988 unless you know how to read the news. 00:00:25.988 --> 00:00:27.538 To your grandparents, parents, 00:00:27.538 --> 00:00:29.319 or even older siblings, 00:00:29.319 --> 00:00:31.601 this idea would have sounded strange. 00:00:31.601 --> 00:00:34.867 Only a few decades ago, news was broad-based. 00:00:34.867 --> 00:00:36.203 Your choices were limited 00:00:36.203 --> 00:00:38.390 to a couple of general interest magazines 00:00:38.390 --> 00:00:39.968 and newspaper of record, 00:00:39.968 --> 00:00:42.825 and three or four TV networks 00:00:42.825 --> 00:00:45.697 where trusted newscasters delivered the day's news 00:00:45.697 --> 00:00:48.901 at the same reliable time every evening. 00:00:48.901 --> 00:00:51.148 But the problems with this system soon became apparent 00:00:51.148 --> 00:00:53.213 as mass media spread. 00:00:53.213 --> 00:00:54.991 While it was known that authoritarian countries 00:00:54.991 --> 00:00:57.256 controlled and censored information, 00:00:57.256 --> 00:00:59.665 a series of scandals showed that 00:00:59.665 --> 00:01:03.211 democratic governments were also misleading the public, 00:01:03.211 --> 00:01:06.058 often with media cooperation. 00:01:06.058 --> 00:01:09.267 Revelations of covert wars, secret assassinations, 00:01:09.267 --> 00:01:11.068 and political corruption 00:01:11.068 --> 00:01:13.864 undermined public faith in official narratives 00:01:13.864 --> 00:01:16.793 presented by mainstream sources. 00:01:16.793 --> 00:01:19.421 This breakdown of trust in media gatekeepers 00:01:19.421 --> 00:01:23.744 lead to alternative newspapers, radio shows, and cable news 00:01:23.744 --> 00:01:26.666 competing with the major outlets and covering events 00:01:26.666 --> 00:01:28.541 from various perspectives. 00:01:28.541 --> 00:01:31.066 More recently, the Internet has multiplied the amount 00:01:31.066 --> 00:01:32.953 of information and viewpoints, 00:01:32.953 --> 00:01:35.957 with social media, blogs, and online video 00:01:35.957 --> 00:01:39.471 turning every citizen into a potential reporter. 00:01:39.471 --> 00:01:41.913 But if everyone is a reporter, nobody is, 00:01:41.913 --> 00:01:43.720 and different sources may disagree, 00:01:43.720 --> 00:01:46.813 not only opinions, but on the facts themselves. 00:01:46.813 --> 00:01:50.204 So how do you get the truth, or something close? 00:01:50.204 --> 00:01:52.929 One of the best ways is to get the original news 00:01:52.929 --> 00:01:55.140 unfiltered by middlemen. 00:01:55.140 --> 00:01:58.012 Instead of articles interpreting a scientific study 00:01:58.012 --> 00:01:59.597 or a politician's speech, 00:01:59.597 --> 00:02:03.423 you can often find the actual material and judge for yourself. 00:02:03.423 --> 00:02:06.983 For current events, follow reporters on social media. 00:02:06.983 --> 00:02:09.019 During major events, such as the Arab Spring 00:02:09.019 --> 00:02:10.671 or the Ukrainian protests, 00:02:10.671 --> 00:02:14.271 newscasters and bloggers have posted updates and recordings 00:02:14.271 --> 00:02:16.434 from the midst of the chaos. 00:02:16.434 --> 00:02:19.416 Though many of these later appear in articles or broadcasts, 00:02:19.416 --> 00:02:21.890 keep in mind that these polished versions 00:02:21.890 --> 00:02:24.634 often combine the voice of the person who was there 00:02:24.634 --> 00:02:27.311 with the input of editors who weren't. 00:02:27.311 --> 00:02:29.392 At the same time, the more chaotic the story, 00:02:29.392 --> 00:02:32.369 the less you should try to follow it in real time. 00:02:32.369 --> 00:02:35.721 In events like terrorist attacks and natural disasters, 00:02:35.721 --> 00:02:37.977 today's media attempts continuous coverage 00:02:37.977 --> 00:02:41.578 even when no reliable new information is available, 00:02:41.578 --> 00:02:44.141 sometimes leading to incorrect information 00:02:44.141 --> 00:02:47.150 or false accusations of innocent people. 00:02:47.150 --> 00:02:49.842 It's easy to be anxious in such events, 00:02:49.842 --> 00:02:52.152 but try checking for the latest information 00:02:52.152 --> 00:02:53.991 at several points in the day, 00:02:53.991 --> 00:02:55.898 rather than every few minutes, 00:02:55.898 --> 00:02:58.704 allowing time for complete details to emerge 00:02:58.704 --> 00:03:01.721 and false reports to be refuted. 00:03:01.721 --> 00:03:03.838 While good journalism aims for objectivity, 00:03:03.838 --> 00:03:06.799 media bias is often unavoidable. 00:03:06.799 --> 00:03:08.260 When you can't get the direct story, 00:03:08.260 --> 00:03:10.844 read coverage in multiple outlets 00:03:10.844 --> 00:03:14.386 which employ different reporters and interview different experts. 00:03:14.392 --> 00:03:17.399 Tuning in to various sources and noting the differences 00:03:17.399 --> 00:03:19.445 lets you put the pieces together 00:03:19.445 --> 00:03:21.464 for a more complete picture. 00:03:21.464 --> 00:03:24.216 It's also crucial to separate fact from opinion. 00:03:24.216 --> 00:03:27.564 Words like think, likely, or probably 00:03:27.564 --> 00:03:29.591 mean that the outlet is being careful 00:03:29.591 --> 00:03:31.915 or, worse, taking a guess. 00:03:31.915 --> 00:03:35.653 And watch out for reports that rely on anonymous sources. 00:03:35.653 --> 00:03:38.677 These could be people who have little connection to the story, 00:03:38.677 --> 00:03:41.409 or have an interest in influencing coverage, 00:03:41.409 --> 00:03:43.564 their anonymity making them unaccountable 00:03:43.564 --> 00:03:45.745 for the information they provide. 00:03:45.745 --> 00:03:47.545 Finally, and most importantly, 00:03:47.545 --> 00:03:50.652 try to verify news before spreading it. 00:03:50.652 --> 00:03:52.473 While social media has enabled the truth 00:03:52.473 --> 00:03:53.756 to reach us faster, 00:03:53.756 --> 00:03:55.805 it's also allowed rumors to spread 00:03:55.805 --> 00:03:57.588 before they can be verified 00:03:57.588 --> 00:03:59.038 and falsehoods to survive 00:03:59.038 --> 00:04:01.185 long after they've been refuted. 00:04:01.185 --> 00:04:03.470 So, before you share that unbelievable 00:04:03.470 --> 00:04:05.431 or outrageous news item, 00:04:05.431 --> 00:04:07.828 do a web search to find any additional 00:04:07.828 --> 00:04:10.986 information or context you might have missed 00:04:10.986 --> 00:04:13.540 and what others are saying about it. 00:04:13.540 --> 00:04:15.567 Today, we are more free than ever 00:04:15.567 --> 00:04:17.226 from the old media gatekeepers 00:04:17.226 --> 00:04:20.052 who used to control the flow of information. 00:04:20.052 --> 00:04:22.478 But with freedom comes responsibility: 00:04:22.478 --> 00:04:25.441 the responsibility to curate our own experience 00:04:25.441 --> 00:04:28.492 and ensure that this flow does not become a flood, 00:04:28.492 --> 00:04:31.847 leaving us less informed than before we took the plunge.