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15 Reasons Why You Can Never Trust the Mainstream Media

Updated on by in Info & News

For years, the mainstream news media have been one of the main sources of information for people. However, these days we have a plenty of online alternatives, such as various websites and forums. Big news channels like Fox News, CNN, and so on, lose audience and so become desperate in attracting more attention.

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However, this doesn’t mean that they do it the right way: actually, now you need to trust the mainstream media even less than before, and I’m going to explain to you why.

1. Statistics show that online media are more reliable

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According to statistics, only 40 percent of all American people still believe things mainstream media tell them. This is the lowest level of trust ever recorded by Gallup survey, but that’s not all. Another survey shows that most of the Americans turn to social media instead, looking for the latest information about politics and government. So, people, these days trust Facebook more than mainstream media.

2. Mainstream media don’t check their sources

It is known that the professional news media always need to check sources and facts before writing about something. However, it doesn’t always work this way: sometimes mainstream media publish unchecked information accidently and sometimes they do it on purpose for their own reasons (usually related to government and businesses that sponsor them).

3. Mainstream media rely on the government

hillary-clinton-laughing

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Speaking about government: it would be wise to mention that all mainstream media are sponsored by certain politicians, who use them to promote their ideas and campaigns. This means that these media not only promote politics but also twists facts, presenting you wrong information.

4. Mainstream media censor good news and sell bad ones

It’s an amazing and sad fact: bad news sell newspapers better than good ones. So it’s no wonder that mainstream media write those more often in order to sell more copies or attract more readers. However, this also means that they publish less good news, even if they are more important. Basically, in this case, people pay money to read about rape, murder, and other unpleasant things, while the online media are able to offer them more pleasant and diverse news for free.

5. There is no such thing as freedom of the press anymore

Another sad fact: though you may find the press that still remains free, most likely this press has nothing to do with the mainstream media. The only free sources are the independent ones, and so if you want to read news that isn’t clouded by prejudice or censored by sponsors, read such sources.

6. Mainstream media use trivia to hide the most important parts of the stories


Newt Gingrich (former House Speaker) to Megyn Kelly (Fox News host):
You are fascinated with sex, and you don’t care about public policy!

Interesting stories do happen all the time; however, the mainstream media usually focus on less important parts of them. For example, if a person does something that catches everyone’s attention, the mainstream media start digging and publishing information about their personal life instead of focusing on the parts that are more important. It might seem that this is done because such things attract more attention – just like the bright and scandalous headlines that hardly ever tell the truth. However, there is another important reason: the government doesn’t want people to remember about certain events.

7. Mainstream media are a threat to real independent sources

It was mentioned above that mainstream media are always sponsored by government and businesses, and so rarely tell the truth about things. However, they still remain dominant in the media sphere, making it harder for independent media to be noticed. Actually, the biggest media produce nearly 90 percent of all media content in America – and these media doesn’t tell you the truth at the same time. Seems horrifying, doesn’t it?

8. All mainstream media want is to make a profit

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While the media have to be our most important source of information, entertainment and education, actually it doesn’t work this way. All the mainstream media want to do is to receive more money, and so their work is dictated by the profit only. They choose not the most important news and facts, but the ones that will bring them more profit. Moreover, they alter them if their sponsor says so – so, you’re basically supporting misinformation and media sponsors when you’re turning to the mainstream media for news.

9. The content is dictated by the advertising

As mentioned above, the mainstream media exist because of their sponsors, and to continue to exist, they have to sell you some things. For example, news about seasonal illnesses stimulates people to buy more medicine (especially the one that is recommended to them in the news), as well as certain trends promoted in the mainstream media stimulate people to buy different things that aren’t necessarily useful to them (like fitness bracelets, for example).

10. Mainstream media dislike real journalists

Real professionals ask many questions and aren’t afraid to doubt things that aren’t supported by strong facts. That’s why it can be so inconvenient for mainstream media to communicate with the real journalist or hire them: they are too good at uncovering the truth.

11. Mainstream media actually have different views than Americans

The mainstream media are supposed to represent the public opinion, but it’s not like that at all. Actually, they are far more liberals than Americans are, and that can lead to a number of misunderstandings: one believes that society works one way, just as the mainstream media say, but in reality, everything is completely different.

12. Mainstream media tell you only one side of the story

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Every mainstream media has a certain editor’s policy and sticks to it while writing it’s news. Therefore, if you want to see a certain story from the different points of view, you need to look for various sources of information.

13. One can actually get addicted to mainstream media

Certain researches show that modern people are afraid to miss out the important things. That’s why they keep turning the TV on or buying a newspaper every day: they believe it’s crucial to know what happens in the world. Such belief, however, can easily turn into an addiction, so you have to be careful.

14. Mainstream media tend to manipulate people’s minds

Let’s imagine that you receive all information from one media source. This source can manipulate you easily, especially if you consider it trustworthy. The only way to avoid this kind of manipulation is to never trust the mainstream media and choose news sources on your own.

15. Mainstream media can prevent you from thinking by yourself

When all the news are presented and analyzed so well (at a first glance), why digging deeper? Today the mainstream media offer us all kinds of news reports and researches, simply making it unnecessary to analyze things and think on your own. However, independent thinking is important for every person and so you should focus on it.

Conclusion

Be independent and don’t believe everything that the mainstream media try to put into your head!

Author: Lori Wade

Lori Wade is a tutor and a freelance/content writer for Thriving Writer who is interested in education, blogging and sharing her ideas. She has a degree in Journalism and is a frequent contributor to several publications and websites.

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