Make No Mistake About It: We ARE In An Information War!
[U.S.] Alex Jones created the phrase back in the mid-90s and he was right: We are and have been in an information war all along. And now it's more important than ever to recognize this fact.
With the latest media bias and "feeding frenzy" going on towards current U.S. President Donald Trump, the predominantly liberal controlled news media seem to be relying on "yellow journalism" to spread their anti-Trump and anti-conservative rhetoric. Unfortunately, it seems to be working.
According to Wikipedia, the terms "yellow journalism" and "yellow press" are defined as:
"...a type of journalism that presents little or no legitimate well-researched news and instead uses eye-catching headlines to sell more newspapers. Techniques may include exaggerations of news events, scandal-mongering or sensationalism. By extension, the term yellow journalism is used today as a pejorative to decry any journalism that treats news in an unprofessional or unethical fashion.
"Joseph Campbell describes yellow press newspapers as having daily multi-column front-page headlines covering a variety of topics, such as sports and scandal, using bold layouts (with large illustrations and perhaps color), heavy reliance on unnamed sources, and unabashed self-promotion. The term was extensively used to describe certain major New York City newspapers around 1900 as they battled for circulation.
"Frank Luther Mott identifies yellow journalism based on five characteristics:
-Scare headlines in huge print, often of minor news
-Lavish use of pictures, or imaginary drawings
-Use of faked interviews, misleading headlines, pseudoscience, and a parade of false - learning from so-called experts
-Emphasis on full-color Sunday supplements, usually with comic strips
-Dramatic sympathy with the "underdog" against the system"
Do not blindly follow or believe whatever you see and hear on TV or read on the internet.
While analyzing the news, you must take a proactive approach to determine what is real or fake news, while relying on multiple sources and opinions, instead of just one or two.
Visit both left and right aligned news sites; listen to a number of different talk radio shows; DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH!
Unfortunately, the reality is most people are too busy dealing with their own lives and problems to take a proactive approach to dissecting the news they are given.
A 2016 Washington Post article titled "6 in 10 of you will share this link without reading it, a new, depressing study says" is a real eye opener. People nowadays simply do not have the time to read lengthy articles.
Check out the most recent episode of Lou Dobbs Tonight, where he discusses this exact topic with retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Shaffer (interview starts at 3:22):
As we previously mentioned, do your own research when it comes to deciphering what is real news and what is fake. Don't get caught up in tabloid-tier drama; fight back in the information war!
