When you look for the news, do you care most about getting the truth or having your political opinions reinforced?

Thanks to the internet, we can get news from an endless number of sources. A few networks and major newspapers no longer control the news cycle.

But are we seeking the facts, wherever they may lead, or do we only want our news from outlets and reporters who share our political beliefs?

A new Pew Research Center survey shows that about 40 percent of Americans on both sides of the political divide make a point of getting news from people who share their ideology. And that factor dwarfs any other characteristic news consumers care about with respect to reporters.

But is this a good thing, just the way things are now, or a major warning sign when it comes to pursuing the truth?

Sara shares her experience both as a reporter and an opinion columnist, pointing out the very strict standards her editors insisted upon before running any stories. And even as a columnist, she says her opinions must be rooted in well-sourced reporting.

But much of our media does not operate this way. Sara points out how the mainstream press openly cheered for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in 2016 and how reporters at some of the most powerful news organizations dutifully published lies about Trump without scrutinizing their sources with the federal government.

She also highlights the scourge of suppressing truth by omission, which is when media outlets just ignore a significant story because it's inconvenient to their political allies or beneficial to their adversaries.

Seeking the truth about what is really happening in the world takes honesty on the part of those consuming the news and those reporting it. Do we just want confirmation bias or do we really want the facts?

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Time Stamps:
00:00 How healthy is your media diet?
3:28 My story
7:32 Americans want journalists to share their politics
11:27 Americans are missing key stories
14:31 Has Iran taken over our media?
15:30 Man on the street
17:00 Rashida at an event with terrorists
22:07 The anti-Israel Protests
26:14 How do you consume media?


The Pew Study: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/05/16/more-americans-want-the-journalists-they-get-news-from-to-share-their-politics-than-any-other-personal-trait/

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