The following is based on EDIFY’s newest release featuring Catholic journalist Mary Margaret Olohan of the Daily Signal, “5 Ways the Media is Trying to Trick You.”
Imagine reading the morning news when you stumble across this headline: “Texas bans gender-affirming care for minors.”
Does something about that headline sound off to you? You’re not alone. This is just one of the ways the media routinely tries to dupe you.
It’s more important than ever that you equip yourself with the skills to understand which news sources are telling you the truth. Here are five tips to help you avoid falling into a media trap:
1. Pay attention to headlines and feature photos.
These are the very first things you notice about a story. Pay close attention: does this headline give you a good understanding of what the story is about? Or is it pushing you to believe something without saying it? How does the feature photo portray the subject of the story? Does the subject look crazy, really angry, or just plain weird? These are all quick indications that your source wants you to look at this story a certain way.
2. Keep an eye out for inflammatory language
Watch for salacious words or phrases that tell you how to think about high-profile people. If a media outlet is comparing Casey DeSantis to Lady Macbeth or using phrases like “screams into void” when describing Donald Trump – you’re better off trusting other sources.
3. Be wary of activist language
Many “mainstream” media outlets take their cues from progressive activist groups that literally tell them how to talk about pivotal topics. Keep an eye out for vague words and phrases, particularly ones with the word “care” in them. “Reproductive healthcare” – that’s a euphemism for an abortionist ending the life of a human baby. “Gender-affirming care” – that masks the grisly realities of subjecting people to irreversible surgeries, even for kids. “Fetal cardiac activity” – that’s a euphemism for a baby’s heartbeat.
4. Don’t trust unsubstantiated claims
Every single claim that a journalist makes in his or her story has to be backed up – especially if that claim or phrase is pivotal to the story. Is an outlet referring to “anti-trans” bills without explanation? Be careful – that’s likely an unsubstantiated claim using activist language to suggest that lawmakers are unfairly targeting people who identify as transgender. That outlet is ignoring that the bills are actually banning biological males from using girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms or defending young children against teachers who want to talk to them about sex and gender ideology.
5. Be conscious of cherry-picking
If you get to the end of a story and think, “I wonder what the other side thinks about this?” – that’s a pretty clear sign that the story has an ideological agenda. Truthful reporting includes all sides of a story and doesn’t withhold information from you. But even if all sides are represented, you still need to be cautious. Ideological outlets love to quote extremist or outlier views to represent conservative viewpoints.
The state of today’s news media is no joke. Think for yourself, and if an outlet isn’t providing you with all the facts, look for the proper sourcing. You deserve to get the facts and understand the truth.
