I'm shutting down Google+ for the night and quite possibly for the weekend. Why? This stupid #gifwars thing people are so proud of. This Adam Black guy said he doesn't like gifs and now everyone is mass trolling him. Having been mass trolled like this I can relate to him easily enough. Have an opinion and the collective might of Google+'s lower class denizens jump on a bandwagon. I just saw a post where someone wanted to jump on board and had to get clarification she was tagging the proper Adam Black. She wasn't even connected to him ! Nor was she a part of the original discussion. She just wanted to follow the herd. When I called her out of it she claimed, "one gif doesn't make a troll." Perhaps not, but she's contributing to a larger troll effort. One straw doesn't break the camel's back, but thousands will. So, tonight, Google+ disgusts me. It probably will tomorrow as well. And possibly Sunday. I gave up Google+ for two months this spring
Comments
We very rarely know enough about the news ...
As someone who worked in television news for 30 years, that's simply not true. There are basic questions that must be asked and answered for any story - the who, what, and where. These details are ascertainable through police reports (in the instance of a robbery or other crime) or fire department reports (in the instance of a fire or other emergency). Cameras and photographers provide a visual record.
The survey hinges on your ability to judge sources as to reliability as well as recognizing the brand names of parody sites.
This is not some arcane science. Just because FOX told you the 'mainstream media' is bad, and Donald Trump tells you it's all fake doesn't make it so, and it doesn't mean there's a level of analysis or perception that is eluding you.
Pay attention, use critical thinking, and you'll find that you know quite a bit more than you think.