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5 Questions to ask when evaluating News Stories
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Posted on 07/09/2025 7:21:22 AM PDT by silent majority rising

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We are being manipulated by the Media as we always have been, but with many USAID folks out of work, be on the lookout for 'Color Revolution' attempts. This is an interesting guideline for how to sift through the BS. and actually understand it.
1 posted on 07/09/2025 7:21:22 AM PDT by silent majority rising
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To: silent majority rising

Who, what, when, where, why?


2 posted on 07/09/2025 7:30:12 AM PDT by GingisK
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To: silent majority rising

Not sure how much real news is out there in the so called media. We make a huge mistake believing that the media is something other than Leftist activism.


3 posted on 07/09/2025 7:33:21 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: 1Old Pro

#6 Realize that everything you see in print or on TV is a lie. Regardless of who it comes from.


4 posted on 07/09/2025 7:36:03 AM PDT by Fai Mao ( All Democrats are pedophiles )
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To: 1Old Pro

“Not much real news is out there in the so called media.”

We make a huge mistake believing that the media is something other than Leftist activism.


5 posted on 07/09/2025 7:39:08 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (Drones haves changed fighting wars/with Navy/Army top water or below and anything that flies)
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To: silent majority rising

Is the author reporting what a subject matter expert thinks, or just giving their own opinion? Probably half the articles posted on FR are the latter, from a blog or website. Then you must examine the author’s credentials to know if they have any education or experience that warrants paying any attention to what they say.

Candace Owens is a good example of one that fail this test.


6 posted on 07/09/2025 7:42:13 AM PDT by bigbob (Yes. We ARE going back)
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To: silent majority rising

I used to be an expert in bullshit. I could correctly identify it two out of three times.

Now, everything is BS until proven others wise.


7 posted on 07/09/2025 7:42:34 AM PDT by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued, but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere)
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To: All
Even with local news, nearly every story they run with a political connection follows the same template: Republicans/Trump bad, Democrats good.

Lately, they've been running lots of doomsday scenarios over the Trump "budget cuts" and the BBB.

If we had even a semi-honest mainstream media, there'd be very few Democrats among us. Their party would die.
8 posted on 07/09/2025 7:47:06 AM PDT by Dan in Wichita
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To: GingisK

“Who, what, when, where, why?”

They can tell you all that, and they can all be lies. In other words how do you know that the “Who, what, when, where, why” they just told aren’t made up?

Number 1 is probably the most important caution - consider the source.


9 posted on 07/09/2025 7:49:20 AM PDT by aquila48 (Do not let them make you "care" ! Guilting you is how they. control you. )
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To: silent majority rising

3. The most insidious power of the media is the power to ignore. Chris Plante


10 posted on 07/09/2025 8:03:41 AM PDT by cyclotic (Don’t be part of the problem. Be the entire problem)
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To: silent majority rising

Personally, I look for clues and bits of information that seem credible and hold up as stories/news spread and different sources and biases look at them, a common rule for me is to read the criticisms of the opposition to stories or news I am trying to examine as well as the supporting sources.

I have noticed that more gullible people who are always raging and jumping on even obvious fake stories are the ones who are always seeking a “source they can trust” and have firm lists of what blog or talking heads they can “trust” versus everything else that they must dismiss and totally ignore, basically they want to be told what to think with a nicely packaged narrative, and then they will passionately project it to the world without examining and questioning it, or analyzing it.


11 posted on 07/09/2025 8:08:07 AM PDT by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: silent majority rising

One of the most important thing to realize in processing information from any source and to always keep in mind is that we subconsciously gravitate to whatever reinforces our beliefs and biases, and thus can be more easily bamboozled by propanda from our side than the other.

So in order to get a better approximation of reality, it’s important to look with a critical eye at stuff that we readily agree with and to at least be open to consider the stuff that goes against our grain.


12 posted on 07/09/2025 8:16:03 AM PDT by aquila48 (Do not let them make you "care" ! Guilting you is how they. control you. )
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To: aquila48
So in order to get a better approximation of reality, it’s important to look with a critical eye at stuff that we readily agree with and to at least be open to consider the stuff that goes against our grain.

Yep, and after watching FOX and CNN one can readily observe that both stations are feeding us biased crap, just from two perspectives.

13 posted on 07/09/2025 8:18:53 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: bigbob

I agree. Candace Owen was accepted so readily by the MAGA because she was ‘Black’ andspoke like a conservative. MAGA was so desperate to find Black adherents that it accepted almost anyone who proclaimed conservatism. However, she, like many others, was a wolf in sheep clothing. If you objectively read what she professes, she is a nutjob.


14 posted on 07/09/2025 8:19:34 AM PDT by silent majority rising (When it is dark enough, men see the stars. Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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To: aquila48

That is absolutely true! We have to know the 5 Ws for the reporters, the victims, and the perps.


15 posted on 07/09/2025 8:55:04 AM PDT by GingisK
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To: GingisK

And how.


16 posted on 07/09/2025 9:20:00 AM PDT by bgill
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To: silent majority rising

Always start out labeling it as a lie.


17 posted on 07/09/2025 9:20:40 AM PDT by bgill
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To: silent majority rising
Here's a reformat of the post by silent majority rising and my two five cents.



1. Who is reporting it and what’s their angle? Always check the source. Is it an outlet known to lean Left, Right, or sensationalist? Look at the track record of the news source. Their editorial history can give clear signs whether they are pushing a narrative or giving you straight facts.


2. What is the evidence behind the claim? Look for specifics – quotes, data, documents, or eyewitness accounts. Research those eyewitnesses to understand whether they represent a specific narrative as well. If the outlet uses vague “sources say” statements, that should be an immediate red flag. Like the old Wendy’s commercial – ask yourself, “Where’s the beef?”


3. What am I not seeing? Compare the news to other reports on the same event, even opposing news outlets. If key details – like context, opposing or conflicting accounts, or the other side’s point of view – are not included in a news story, it is likely curated to steer you, not inform you.


4. How fresh is the news, and has it been verified? When receiving breaking news, always wait before sharing, to ensure that it has been fact-checked or verified. So often, early reports get details wrong, and initial assumptions can be wrong. Wait for the dust to settle and don’t get played by your own snap judgments.


5. Why does this feel urgent or emotional? Algorithms are set to produce engagement. Engagement can be either pro or con. When you see an outrageous claim, and you agree with it, you will like or share it. When you disagree with it, you may share it with an outraged comment of your own. Either way, you are engaging and doing precisely what the media wants you to do.


We need the FCC to enforce truth and accuracy in reporting, edit as you wish but that editing must be noted and the full text, full video must be available for review. Corrections or miss statements MUST be given the same amount of play as the WRONG or INCORRECT statements or videos when broadcast be it 10 minutes, 20 minutes 30 minutes if the media source trumped it MUST be one to one.


If they the media did a 1 hour broadcast that was wrong, incorrect or lies then they must do a second broadcast of 1 hour at the same time slot explaining that they were wrong, incorrect or had lied.


A large banner should be run at the bottom of any video STATING that the SOURCE in unnamed, unverified, if an audio broadcast the statement should be made at the start, at the mode and at the end.


If any of this is not done then the FCC should fine and or remove, suspend broadcast licenses. Keep pushing wrong, incorrect or lies and have your broadcast right removed.


We have truth in advertising laws why no accuracy in reporting laws? There should be no editing or exerting with out posting the entire text or video or audio and if the is no confirmation and the source in unknown or not named. That should be at the beginning and end of that report. If a photo is cropped the original should be also available for review. For to long the public has been denied the full information, the full story and unfortunately as it has been shown time and time again. The news media's take on events can no longer be taken at face value because of paid, yes paid partisan behavior and down right bias. Does the media as a whole need to be held to a much higher standard?

18 posted on 07/09/2025 11:27:35 AM PDT by BFW (loss of signal)
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To: BFW

I agree with your conclusions. If only they were held accountable. We got more accurate news when transported across the plains in Conestoga Wagons.


19 posted on 07/09/2025 11:47:07 AM PDT by silent majority rising (When it is dark enough, men see the stars. Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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To: BFW

I agree with your conclusions. If only they were held accountable. We got more accurate news when transported across the plains in Conestoga Wagons.

Btw. Thanks for the re-formatting. I do not know how to do it on this forum.


20 posted on 07/09/2025 11:48:34 AM PDT by silent majority rising (When it is dark enough, men see the stars. Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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