Mis-Information Risk of FACEBOOK

      The July/August edition of AARP.org bulletin "Your Life" reports that as of 2018 only 16% of Americans get their news from printed newspapers. While major TV news sources are still available to provide mostly credible coverage and perspectives, about half get their news from FACEBOOK.  That poses a major risk for the dissemination of biased and misinformation.  It happens as follows.

    In order to keep its audience engaged, FACEBOOK employs numerous algorithms to determine the interests of its subscribers.  By memorizing what a reader "likes" and "dislikes" and what he or she follows, FACEBOOK, can cater to the reader's interest.by serving up content that pleases, regardless of the validity.. 

It's like mental opium.  

      Gradually, the reader is moved into a microcosm of the real world.  They begin to think their opinions, no matter how distorted, represent the majority.  It is insidious; very few recognize or care that it is happening.
    Even worse, these are often the same people who are the first to cry "fake news" and "pox on your house."  They are quite comfortable with their ignorance and think it is an encroachment on their First-Amendment rights to fact-check what they are being fed.  
    Nevertheless, if a reader makers it to this blog, he is most likely not one of these people.  With that in mind, consider that the AARP article offers several ways to avoid the FACEBOOK trap and to "Be a Smart News Consumer,"

• Research the "Byline."  If no author is listed, that is a red flag. Determine if the author is credible or has a known agenda.
• Search the Headline. 70% of people don't read past the headlne and that is a source of "clickbait." Read the whole article.before making judgment.
• Check out the sources. Do a search of the "evidence."  Discard articles that do not provide references to credible sources. . . 
• Check out the coverage.  Legitimate news coverage rarely shows up on just one site... 
• Validate the "dates".  Make sure it is actual current news and not a rehash of some longtime ago discredited report.
• Determine the "basis" for the report. Is it actual news or someone's opinion?  Since everyone has an opinion, it is often best to keep these limited.
• Use the references on this website to FACT-CHECK even those articles with which you agree.BEFORE you hit that "Share" button.