Always, always, always, fact-check the news that reaches you. With the rise of AI and the multitude of platforms and podcasts, anyone, anywhere can become an \u201cexpert\u201d or an \u201canalyst\u201d or a \u201cstrategist\u201d. Beware of the type of content you follow whether it\u2019s broadcast or on social media. Day by day, it is becoming harder to follow the news without falling for certain fake or contorted news. That\u2019s why, whether you\u2019re looking up the news or researching for academic or professional purposes, you need to remember that every information shared has a purpose. The purpose is to influence, to divert, to distract, to confuse. It has rarely become to only inform, which is why people need to be equipped with tools to overlook propaganda. You need to go beyond expert\u2019s opinion and governments\u2019 decisions for public safety. You must ask why at every turn.<\/p>\n\n\n
Today, more than ever before, news outlets thrive on misleading headlines, spreading misinformation and truth bending. It is true that some are financed by people in power or people with influence, however, some outlets misinform for views and clicks. Their ethics won\u2019t stop them from diverting and rephrasing news for sales. When you study media ethics, you learn that journalists must respect certain standards and find the line of ethics that shouldn\u2019t be crossed. Nevertheless, the media bend their own rules to be first and at the forefront of reporting. Consequently, jumping on a half information of \u201cbreaking news\u201d, \u201csources claim\u201d, \u201cthis just in\u201d feeds propagandist strategies, creates chaos and shapes public opinion.<\/p>\n\n\n
It may be hard for some to digest, but western governments still apply the same political approach they did in the past: colonialist tactics. Foreign policies of world\u2019s top democracies are shaped with a colonialist perspective. This influence is included in publications, books and academic journals. There has been some rebranding but the product they\u2019re selling is still the same. When you confront yourself with this reality, it\u2019ll be easier for you to see the world we live in today. The whole first world, second world, North-South, developed-developing countries system cannot live in the same context of globalization and international cooperation. And, yet somehow, they do. But how come? Simple: propaganda. The selling point of how these two antagonists co-exist is: how international cooperation can lift developing countries and let them reach their full potential by becoming developed ones. That is not what\u2019s happening, and people need to catch up fast to the ruse. Once the fog is lifted, the actual world order gets clearer.<\/p>\n\n\n
When you get used to the same two or three news outlets whether local or international, it is easier to fall for propaganda. You rely on the same source for everything, you start believing anything they say. To help yourself get out of this same routine, turn this technique into a game. Alongside step 2 – look for media’s will and ethics <\/em>– pick, from each continent, local and international news outlets (radio, online, broadcast, print, etc.). With limited language skills, perhaps having one, it might be harder to do so. However, in some countries, publications and broadcasts can also be available in English. By picking these news outlets, you\u2019ll end with 10 to 12 sources where you can check daily and weekly, local and international news with multiple perspectives.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n Politics and economy are too interconnected. In governance, the decisions of one always benefit the other. This is why you need to look up governments\u2019 economic plans and foreign policies. To understand world politics and come up with your own fact-based findings, you need to connect the dots between political interests and economic gains. Strategic governance spins news for well calculated intentions and outcomes. Decision-makers spread news as fast as news outlets. They throw whatever feeds their agenda and see who\u2019ll fall for it. Your critical thinking skills will benefit your goal to see through governments\u2019 own image portrayal and depiction of information.<\/p>\n\n\n It is undeniable that experts\u2019 opinions are valuable to understand international relations and power dynamics. However, not all opinion pieces, experts’ analysis or podcasts are worthy of our attention. You need to be selective. Experts\u2019 connections and relationships with current and previous government officials, lobbies and associations will influence their opinion and perspective. Propaganda techniques rely on experts\u2019 influence on the audience (readers and listeners) to shape and transform public opinion. That is why you need to dig deeper and read between the lines when you go through an opinion piece or expert analysis. See how it feeds their agenda and sometimes, in all honesty, their pockets. The latter is what influences them the most.<\/p>\n\n\n Finally, when you go through these steps, you\u2019ll be able to create and stand by your own view of the world, shaped by fact-checked unbiased data collection. With this new lens, you become more confident and critical when you watch the news, read an article or book, listen to an interview, check out experts\u2019 work, etc. By applying these techniques, you\u2019ll be more vigilant to fall for what propagandists want you to see as the truth. Mainstream media as well as academic publications have always been infiltrated by propaganda. Twisted analysis, contorted facts, and softer vocabularies, shift attention from what is truly important and create a herd of followers instead of independent individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n5. Check governments’ gains and losses<\/h4>\n\n\n
6. Remember that opinions are not facts<\/h4>\n\n\n
7. Create your own research with fact-checked data collection<\/h4>\n\n\n
Here’s some quick recommendations before you embark on your next quest with these techniques on your belt:<\/em><\/strong><\/h6>\n\n\n\n
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