With the rise of the Internet and social media, information is more accessible than ever. We can send a message across the globe, and we can do it at the speed of light.
However, with this deluge of knowledge comes (as Peter Parker’s uncle once said) great responsibility — and it’s sorely lacking with most social news outlets.
You can Google anything and get an answer; the question is, how do you find out if it’s the correct one? Anyone can pass off their ideas as fact, and it’s becoming harder to tell who has done the research.
Here, we pride ourselves with our fact-checking skills. We don’t print a story without checking sources, and we aren’t afraid to print corrections. Many social “news” outlets, however, aren’t trying to uphold the same tenets of journalism. Rumors get published as fact, opinions get printed as truth, and quotes are ripped apart until the true point is unrecognizable. To make matters worse, these sites gain more traction each day.
When you see something that you’re not sure about, continue to dig. Trust reliable sources like major newspapers over a blogger every time, and don’t be afraid to comment on a story when you have information that a “fact” may be wrong. Remember, it’s social media — which means a two-sided flow of information. Without recognizing that, media becomes a puppet show.
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