Democratic Primaries
In reply to the discussion: I was manipulated by the Russians, and we must assume everyone was. [View all]ehrnst
(32,640 posts)Understanding basic journalism - what is good and bad journalistic practice, understanding the difference between opinion pieces and reporting.
Being informed about the sources of information - not that any source is infallible, but knowing that they have a track record of good journalistic practices.
Being aware when my emotions and not my intellect is being appealed to, especially on Social Media. If a source is deliberately ginning up outrage, my spidey senses start tingling. I learned a lot of that when I worked at a reproductive rights org, and read a lot of anti-choice contraception and abortion propaganda.
If a public figure lashes out at a reputable news source fact checking them, that's also a big red flag. Being combative with the legitimate free press for doing their job is a litmus test for me in terms of how they handle facts that don't support their talking points.
Understanding the difference between getting behind a candidate, and walking lockstep with a manifesto. I can support a candidate that I don't agree with on every detail, and even one that I find irritating. Politicians are human, and they ALL make mistakes, and they have different POVs.
Beware of "all or nothing" dualistic messaging within a Democratic primary such as "the only moral candidate" "the only progressive candidate" - that shoots up red flags, in every sense, all over the place with me. That indicates divisive propaganda at it source, even if those who are taken in and repeat it are not working for Russia or the GOP.
Any messaging about a candidate that states they are the "only moral candidate" gets put into the propaganda column.
There are also some tools available to help be a responsible consumer of information:
https://guides.lib.uw.edu/research/evaluate/fakenews
https://billmoyers.com/story/savvy-news-consumers-guide-not-get-duped/
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden