[Transcript] How to choose your news Damon Brown

How do you know what's happening in your world? The amount of

information just a click away may be limitless, but the time and energy we
have to absorb and evaluate it is not. All the information in the world won't
be very useful unless you know how to read the news. To your grandparents,
parents, or even older siblings, this idea would have sounded strange.
Only a few decades ago, news was broad-based. Your choices were limited
to a couple of general interest magazines and newspaper of record, and three
or four TV networks where trusted newscasters delivered the day's news at
the same reliable time every evening. But the problems with this system
soon became apparent as mass media spread. While it was known that
authoritarian countries controlled and censored information, a series of
scandals showed that democratic governments were also misleading the
public, often with media cooperation. Revelations of covert wars, secret
assassinations, and political corruption undermined public faith in official
narratives presented by mainstream sources.
This breakdown of trust in media gatekeepers lead to alternative newspapers,
radio shows, and cable news competing with the major outlets and covering
events from various perspectives. More recently, the Internet has multiplied
the amount of information and viewpoints, with social media, blogs, and
online video turning every citizen into a potential reporter. But if everyone is
a reporter, nobody is, and different sources may disagree, not only opinions,
but on the facts themselves.
So how do you get the truth, or something close?
One of the best ways is to get the original news unfiltered by middlemen.
Instead of articles interpreting a scientific study or a politician's speech, you
can often find the actual material and judge for yourself. For current events,
follow reporters on social media. During major events, such as the Arab
Spring or the Ukrainian protests, newscasters and bloggers have posted
updates and recordings from the midst of the chaos.
Though many of these later appear in articles or broadcasts, keep in mind
that these polished versions often combine the voice of the person who was
there with the input of editors who weren't. At the same time, the more
chaotic the story, the less you should try to follow it in real time. In events
like terrorist attacks and natural disasters, today's media attempts continuous
coverage even when no reliable new information is available, sometimes
leading to incorrect information or false accusations of innocent people.
It's easy to be anxious in such events, but try checking for the latest
information at several points in the day, rather than every few minutes,
allowing time for complete details to emerge and false reports to be refuted.
While good journalism aims for objectivity, media bias is often unavoidable.
When you can't get the direct story, read coverage in multiple outlets which
employ different reporters and interview different experts. Tuning in to
various sources and noting the differences lets you put the pieces together
for a more complete picture.
It's also crucial to separate fact from opinion. Words like think, likely, or
probably mean that the outlet is being careful or, worse, taking a guess. And
watch out for reports that rely on anonymous sources. These could be people
who have little connection to the story, or have an interest in influencing
coverage, their anonymity making them unaccountable for the information
they provide.
Finally, and most importantly, try to verify news before spreading it. While
social media has enabled the truth to reach us faster, it's also allowed rumors
to spread before they can be verified and falsehoods to survive long after
they've been refuted. So, before you share that unbelievable or outrageous
news item, do a web search to find any additional information or context you
might have missed and what others are saying about it.
Today, we are more free than ever from the old media gatekeepers who used
to control the flow of information. But with freedom comes responsibility:
the responsibility to curate our own experience and ensure that this flow
does not become a flood, leaving us less informed than before we took the
plunge.

Lm sao bn bit nhng chuyn xy ra trn th gii?

Lng thng tin m bn tip cn c th b gii hn, nhng thi gian v nng
lng tip nhn v xem xt chng th khng. Tt c thng tin trn th gii
s u v dng nu bn khng bit cch c tin tc. Vi ng b, cha m hay
thm ch anh ch ca bn ngh ny nghe c v k quc.
Ch vi chc nm trc, tin tc rt ging nhau. La chn l rt gii hn, ch
c mt vi tp ch i chng, vi t bo ni ting, v ch c ba hay bn knh
TV ni nhng bin tp vin tm tt nhng tin tc trong ngy cng mt
khung gi nht nh mi bui ti. Nhng nhng vn ca h thng ny
dn tr nn r rng khi truyn thng hin i lan rng. Trong khi ai cng bit
cc nc c ti lun kim sot v che giu thng tin nhng mt lot b bi
cho thy cc chnh quyn dn ch cng mun la bp dn chng thng cu
kt vi c quan truyn thng. Nhng r r v chin tranh ln lt, m st b
mt, v b bi chnh tr lm lung lay lng tin vi cc pht ngn chnh
thc n t cc ngun tin chnh thng.
S sp lng tin cc b lc truyn thng dn ti vic cc t bo, i pht
thanh v knh tin tc thay th cnh tranh vi cc knh chnh thng v truyn
ti tin tc di nhng gc nhn khc nhau. Gn y hn, internet lm
bng pht khi lng thng tin v cc gc nhn, bng truyn thng x hi,
blog, v video trc tuyn, bin mi cng dn thnh phng vin tim nng.
Nhng nu ai cng l phng vin th cng nh khng, v nhiu ngun khc
nhau c th mu thun, khng ch v kin m cn v dn chng na.
Vy lm sao bn bit c s tht, hay gn s tht nht?
Mt trong nhng cch tt nht l ly thng tin gc cha qua tay k trung
gian. Thay v cc bi vit trnh by nghin cu khoa hc hay din vn chnh
tr, bn c th t tm cc d kin thc v t mnh nh gi. Vi s kin ang
din ra, hy theo di cc phng vin mng x hi. Trong nhng s kin quan
trng, nh Ma xun -Rp, hay xung t Ukraina ngi a tin v cc
blogger cp nht tin tc v hnh nh lin tc ngay gia m ng hn
lon.
D nhiu tin sau cng s xut hin trn bo hay truyn hnh, nhng hy
nh rng n b gt da thng l bng cch kt hp ting ni ca nhng
ngi vi phn nho nn ca nhng bin tp vin vng mt. cng
mt thi im, khi cu chuyn cng hn lon, th bn cng khng nn theo
di lin tc st sao. Nhng s kin nh khng b tn cng hay thm ha t
nhin, truyn thng hin i vn c gng lin tc a tin d h chng c
thng tin no ng tin cy c, i khi n dn n nhng thng tin sai lm,
hoc co buc sai cho ngi v ti.
Tht d gin d vi nhng s kin nh th, nhng hy th kim tra tin tc
mi nht vo nhng lc khc nhau trong ngy, thay v c vi pht mt ln,
to thi gian cc chi tit y xut hin, v cc tin tc sai b bc b.
Trong khi phng vin tt hng n s khch quan, truyn thng thin lch
vn khng th trnh khi. Nu bn khng c thng tin trc tip, hy c
tng thut t nhiu knh dn dt bi nhng phng vin khc nhau, phng
vn nhng chuyn gia khc nhau. Hy theo di nhiu ngun tin khc nhau
v nhng mu thun hy t ghp ni chng li vi nhau c mt
bc tranh hon chnh.
Quan trng khng km l phi tch bit gia dn chng v kin. Nhng t
nh: cho rng, c v, c th ngha l nh i ang cn trng hoc t hn,
ch suy on thi. V hy coi chng nhng tin tc da trn ngun tin v
danh. c th l nhng k chng c lin h g ti cu chuyn, hoc ch
thch gy nh hng n tin tc thi, s khuyt danh khin thng tin h
cung cp khng ng tin.
Cui cng, v quan trng nht, hy c kim chng trc khi lan truyn tin
tc. Tuy truyn thng x hi gip ta tip cn s tht nhanh hn, n cng
khin cc tin n lan rng trc khi h c th kim chng v thng tin sai
vn tn ti mt thi gian di sau khi b bc b. Vy, trc khi chia s nhng
tin tc git gn kh tin hy tm kim thng tin b sung hoc bi cnh m bn
cn thiu v ngi khc ni g v iu .
Ngy nay, chng ta t do hn bao gi ht trc nhng ng ln truyn thng
tng kim sot mi lung thng tin. Nhng t do lun i km trch nhim:
trch nhim phi chuyn ti chnh xc thng tin v phi m bo dng chy
ny khng tr thnh thc l khin chng ta m mt hn c trc lc b nhn
chm.