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<\/p>\nHow do you know if what you\u2019re reading or seeing or hearing about an elected official or a political candidate is true?\u00a0<\/p>\n
It can be difficult to tell, and if you don\u2019t trust the media, it can be frustrating.\u00a0<\/p>\n
While trust must be earned, there are far too many voters who only trust media they agree with, which is a dangerous precedent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to Mary Miller, the education services director for the New York Newspaper Foundation\u2019s New Media Literacy program, we all need to be critical consumers of news media.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t just react. Don\u2019t just question. Dig deeper,\u201d she told Capital Tonight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Her advice to those of us who consume news on social media is to follow professional journalists.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA professional journalist is someone who is paid by a news organization, someone who generates their income by being a professional journalist, someone who can get a press pass,\u201d she explained. \u201cProfessional journalists who use social media are going to share authentic sources.\u201d<\/p>\n
While consuming news from newspapers is the best way to become knowledgeable about policy and politics (and other issues), over half of U.S. adults say they at least sometimes get news from social media, according to the Pew Research Center.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n For those consumers, Miller has a warning about algorithms.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s called a filter bubble. Algorithms feed you what you like. It will give you ice cream all the time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Instead, she recommends searching for news and information using \u201cDuckDuckGo,”<\/a>\u00a0a search engine that doesn\u2019t use traditional algorithms the way Google or Bing does.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey are not driving their revenue by sending you what you want and trying to keep you engaged for a longer period of time,\u201d she explained. \u201cAll algorithms are trying to monetize the site.\u201d<\/p>\n If you\u2019re interested in learning more about media literacy, this Wednesday, July 29, the Crandall Public Library in Glens Falls will be hosting Miller who will deliver a lecture titled, \u201cFact-Checking for All.”<\/a><\/p>\n The lecture starts at 6 p.m. and will be moderated by former Glens Falls Post Star journalists Ken Tingley and Will Doolittle. For more information, visit https:\/\/crandall.librarycalendar.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n Miller had another tip for news consumers: If you can\u2019t tell if an ad or a statement is true or false, check it by visiting fact-finding websites like \u201cPolitifact\u201d<\/a>\u00a0or \u201cSnopes.”<\/a><\/p>\n