The information you need is out there, and it may make all the difference.
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We live in one of the most information-rich periods in history, yet it can be harder than ever to tell what is true.
Every day, we are flooded with news, and misinformation is everywhere. From social media to online outlets and beyond, information comes at us constantly, and much of it can be misleading or unreliable. The problem is not only outright falsehoods, but also half-truths, cherry-picked statistics, and framing that distorts the facts.
How can we find quality information? Without it, we can’t make informed decisions, which are essential for performing at a high level.
I have found four approaches that help me gather accurate information more effectively.
Start with the Mindset
You are responsible for finding reliable information. That means moving beyond confirmation bias and the comfort of having your beliefs affirmed to seek truth and accuracy.
There’s an old story about what one does as a journalist, and I think it applies well here.
If one person tells you the sky is blue, and another tells you the sky is green, your job is not to state both of their thoughts in an article. Instead, it is to go outside and look at the sky for yourself.
Put another way, seek primary sources as a hedge against bias and inaccuracy.
Journalists have long held themselves to ethical standards and publish them as well. For example, here’s one for the Wall Street Journal, and here is a page for The New York Times. In fact, the Wall Street Journal even links to a news literacy learning site, and The New York Times has an extensive Ethical Journalism guide with lots of detail.
In summary, liberate your mind from having to be right to embrace finding out what’s true.
Avoiding Immediate Certainty
In today’s fast-moving media environment, where quick shares and instant reactions are rewarded, it is important to sit with information long enough to understand its context. It’s okay to say, “I don’t know yet.”
Perspective here is important, and for example, you can go back into your personal history. Think about a time when you told a story to someone, and another person who was at that same event saw it differently.
This kind of thing has a term, and that’s the Rashomon Effect. It’s based on the idea shown in the 1950 movie Rashomon, where multiple characters witness the same event and have different perspectives on what happened. They are all quite certain that they saw what they saw, and yet the results show that some of them must be wrong, no matter how assured they are.
You can find yourself in the same position of ultimate confidence if you’re not careful. By keeping an open mind, you can free yourself from making a hasty decision.
Ask Questions
Integrate questions into your decision-making process. This won’t always be easy, as it may be perceived as a challenge, a conflict, or another dynamic that puts people off.
You may also be confronted with the false choice that your inquiry is either cynicism or credulity, when in fact it is about authentic discernment.
Lastly, keep in mind that you will likely have to question yourself to challenge your own assumptions before reaching conclusions.
Diversify Your Sources
There is no one source of information that is always, reliably, 100 percent correct. Every organization makes mistakes, and often they are unintentional or just reflect the situation at that moment. Having just one source of information, therefore, is a poor way to become informed. You should cultivate multiple sources from competing viewpoints to help you build a rich and diverse pool of data.
The Data is Out There
It’s up to you to take charge and make sure your decisions are based on accurate information. Others—including algorithms, whether by design or by default—may try to distract or mislead you, but you can push back with time-tested methods.
Seek out the data you need. It may make all the difference.