We are not helpless!
Lying, dishonesty and political manipulation are nothing new. In the age of digital mass communication, however, these machinations have become endemic. The war in Ukraine is also a war of mis/information and this war is going on daily across all our media. Some of us may feel helpless when it comes to separating truth from falsehood. But we are not that helpless. Whenever we are confronted with a political message, we can ask one basic question: who is talking and what question is being asked (and, usually) answered? This will help to detect the “agenda” of the message, identify its argument and understand the claim that has been made. If we wish to go deeper into the analysis, we can try to identify also the underlying assumptions of the message, check the evidence that has been quoted and see whether or not the message makes sense. We are not that helpless. We can be skeptical and make distinctions. We can reject what is false and keep what is true.
We are not helpless!
Lying, dishonesty and political manipulation are nothing new. In the age of digital mass communication, however, these machinations have become endemic. The war in Ukraine is also a war of mis/information and this war is going on daily across all our media. Some of us may feel helpless when it comes to separating truth from falsehood. But we are not that helpless. Whenever we are confronted with a political message, we can ask one basic question: who is talking and what question is being asked (and, usually) answered? This will help to detect the “agenda” of the message, identify its argument and understand the claim that has been made. If we wish to go deeper into the analysis, we can try to identify also the underlying assumptions of the message, check the evidence that has been quoted and see whether or not the message makes sense. We are not that helpless. We can be skeptical and make distinctions. We can reject what is false and keep what is true.