Across the country, it seems that divisiveness and political turmoil have risen to a fever pitch. Family, friends, and neighbors are often at odds over issues that can cause anger and hurt. With the election behind us, it will take understanding, patience, and determination to heal the country as we move forward. We thank you for joining us in taking a pledge to develop and sustain a personal sense of peace and nonviolence in all aspects of our lives and bring us together.
Each Monday, from November 9 through December 21, we will be sending you a list of resources and suggestions on how to lead a more peaceful, just, and sustainable life. It’s a way of working toward eliminating violence, one step at a time, starting with ourselves.
Peace and all good!
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WEEK SIX
To Choose Information Sources Wisely: To be mindful of bias in my media choices. To think and research credible sources before sharing on social media, email, or in conversations.
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We’re surrounded by information. But not all of it is accurate, and some is disinformation—intentionally false or misleading content, also called fake news. How we filter and analyze all this is key to how we understand the world around us—particularly when weighing immensely consequential choices, like voting to choose the President or a Congressperson. MORE
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Ad Fontes Media is a project with a mission to watchdog and rate media sources on their bias and reliability of information. The Interactive Media Chart provides a visual diagram that lays out the complex media landscape in two dimensions: reliability, on the vertical axis, and bias, on the horizontal axis. MORE
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When you see news stories that shock, outrage or surprise you, try not to slam that share button. Give yourself a few minutes to check several outlets to see if the story is being confirmed by multiple reputable outlets, before going ahead and sharing. Here some great fact-checking sites to determine whether a story is accurate:
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In internet slang, a troll is a person who posts inflammatory content to intentionally upset people. Organizations and countries may utilize trolls to manipulate public opinion in a tactic referred to as “astroturfing”: the practice of masking the sponsors of a message or organization to make it appear as though it originates from and is supported by grassroots participants. Clemson University has developed an interactive quiz where you can examine images of real social media content and decide whether it's from a legitimate account or an internet troll. MORE
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If you want to outsmart a crook, learn his tricks—author Darrell Huff explains exactly how in the classic book: How to Lie with Statistics. From distorted graphs and biased samples to misleading averages, there are countless statistical dodges that lend cover to anyone with an ax to grind or a product to sell. With abundant examples and illustrations, Darrell Huff’s lively and engaging primer clarifies the basic principles of statistics and explains how they’re used to present information in honest and not-so-honest ways. MORE
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Researchers found that people on both sides of the traditional left-right divide are equally likely to believe political news that is consistent with their ideology and to disbelieve news that is inconsistent with their side. In fact, liberals and conservatives are similarly motivated to avoid exposure to one another's opinions and are similarly motivated to deny scientific findings that are inconsistent with their ideology. MORE
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Even though most Americans continue to describe themselves as holding balanced views, we still naturally gravitate toward certain content online. Over time, social media algorithms turn slight preferences into a polarized environment in which only the loudest voices and most extreme opinions on either side can break through the noise. WIRED magazine explains how confirmation bias leads to a limited and slanted world view. MORE
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The purpose of the "Not so Fast" campaign is to empower, educate, and inspire people to slow down and take the time to question, analyze, and verify the news and social media they encounter. The goal is to instill confidence in fact-based inquiry, civil discussion, and curiosity to become responsible digital citizens. It inspires people to become independent thinkers and to always say, “Not So Fast” when consuming and creating media. MORE
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It is troubling enough to see conspiracy theories spread on social media. But when you are hearing them from your family, your friends, or a casual acquaintance, it is even harder to know how to respond. David Robson, author of The Intelligence Trap, outlines the five most common fallacies favored by conspiracy theorists, and the best ways to respond. MORE
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Across the country, smaller local newspapers are disappearing. Rising up to fill the void is a network of 1,300 internet publications filled with propaganda commissioned by dozens of biased think tanks, political operatives, corporate executives, and public relations professionals. The sites appear as ordinary local-news outlets, but behind the scenes, the content of many of the stories is directed by groups with a specific agenda. MORE
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Inspired by the Pledge of Nonviolence
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