A Critical Thinking Toolkit for Navigating News

In every part of our lives today, from the TV to the pocket-computers we use as phones, we're constantly bombarded with news and information from all directions. It's easy to get swept up in headlines or catchy social media posts. But how do we know what's real, what's biased, or what's simply designed to grab our attention?

Our team wanted to share some powerful, easy-to-remember tools from John McManus's book, Don’t Be Fooled: A Citizen’s Guide to News and Information in the Digital Age, to help you become a smarter, more critical consumer of information.

The SMELL Test: Your 5-Step Guide to Evaluating Information

Think of the "SMELL Test" as your personal sniff-test for information. It helps you quickly assess the reliability of any news story, social media post, or message you encounter.

• S is for Source: Who is telling you this?

  • Who are they? Are they experts on the topic? Do they have direct experience?

  • Are they unbiased? Do they have a hidden agenda or a personal stake in what they're telling you?

  • PIE Check:

    • Proximity: Were they an eyewitness? Or are they just repeating what someone else said (hearsay)?

    • Independence: Are they free from conflicts of interest?

    • Expertise: Do they truly know what they're talking about, or do they have relevant lived experience?

• M is for Motive: Why are they telling you this?

  • Is the main goal to inform you, persuade you, or entertain you?

  • If the goal is persuasion, be extra skeptical. They might be "cherry-picking" evidence (only showing you facts that support their side).

• E is for Evidence: What proof is there?

  • What facts, data, or examples are provided to back up the main point of the story or message? Is there strong, verifiable proof?

• L is for Logic: Does it make sense?

  • Does the evidence actually support the conclusions being made? Does it fit with what you already know to be true?

  • Watch out for common logic traps:

    • Non-Sequiturs: When the conclusion doesn't follow from the evidence (e.g., claiming income tax cuts for the wealthy improve the economy and boost revenue, even when history shows otherwise.)

    • Over-generalization: Using one or two personal stories (anecdotes) as proof for a big, sweeping claim. Anecdotes are not evidence for broad conclusions.

    • Innuendo: Hinting that something bad is true without actually saying it directly.

    • Lack of Context: Missing important background details that change the meaning of the information.

    • Flawed Comparisons: Comparing things that aren't truly alike (like apples and oranges), or making incomplete comparisons (e.g., "crime is up!" – compared to what year?).

    • Correlation vs. Causation: Just because two things happen at the same time doesn't mean one caused the other.

    • Fundamental Attribution Error: Blaming someone's character for their actions, without considering the circumstances around them (e.g., focusing on crime without discussing the social conditions that lead to it).

• L is for Left Out: What's missing?

  • What important facts, details, or viewpoints are absent from the story?

  • Are key people or groups who are affected by the issue not being quoted or mentioned? Omissions can be a very subtle but powerful form of bias.

Beyond Words: Understanding Images and Videos

Our brains process images and videos differently than words. Words are read step-by-step, but images hit us all at once, often without needing context. This makes them powerful, but also potentially manipulative. manipulated.

• Images & Emotion: Advertisers often pair their products with happy, successful, or attractive people to imply a connection, even if there isn't one.

• Journalist's Choice: Reporters choose which images to use. The most sensational or dramatic photos might not give you the most balanced picture of an event.

• The Big Takeaway: Video and images should never be your only reason to believe something. Always consider the source and apply the SMELL Test.

Additional info about media literacy can be found at Crash Course on YouTube.

Beware the Spin Machines: Public Relations in the Digital Age

Did you know that public relations (PR) agents now outnumber journalists by almost six to one? These "spin doctors" are skilled at presenting information in a way that benefits their clients, whether companies or politicians.

• Hidden Influence: PR efforts can be subtle. They often "frame" information to guide your thinking without you even realizing it. For example, after 9/11, the focus shifted from a "law enforcement issue" to a "war on terror," which led to very different policy decisions.

• News Agenda Setters: A shocking 70-80% of U.S. news stories actually start as a press release or a contact from a publicist! This means much of what we see as "news" is initially shaped by someone with a vested interest.

The takeaway here? Always remember to look beyond the surface and ask critical questions about the information you receive. We at Indivisible Chico are trying our best to make sure we're sharing accurate, useful information, but we're only a bunch of local folks who care about what's going on in our corner of the world. We are not journalists! We are trying to navigate this crazy onslaught of noise masquerading as news, too.

So please be careful with where you get your information from, and what you do with information once you have learned it. Always be asking yourself: does it pass the SMELL test?