Facts. Where do you find them? Which one do you believe?

[beancounter]

One thing about this forum that is a challenge is finding topics we can debate on. Most of us here share similar world views, so i can predict with good accuracy, how people will respond.

But beyond that, where do we get the information about world events. My guess is mostly from sources that reinforce our views.

So how many of us, look to alternative information sources. If we do look to alternative views, do we truely listen, or do we spend the time doing mental acrobatics defending our views as we watch or read the opposing news source?

And finally, with two sets of "facts", how do we know which one to believe?

 

[Second Summer]

I read the news, the "main stream media" news most of the time, though often from Norwegian media, so it's often a slightly different outlook than what you find on yahoo / CNN etc.

I'm also a member of other discussion forums, at least one of which have the bulk of its members firmly placed in a different political camp than the majority of members here.

I sometimes check with Wikipedia (English version, sometime the Norwegian one), sometimes just do a Google search, to check the veracity of claims. Of course, even Wikipedia is full of bias on some articles. Really controversial stuff is hard. Obviously, for some of it I have a general opinion already, but I try to see others' point of view as much as possible.

 

[Digger]

In my experience fact is almost always subjective. My stepdad got his political facts exclusively from Fox news and accepted them unquestioning, because that is what he chose to accept as fact. Needless to say we had a lot of differences of opinion. But that's going to be true no matter what group you move within. Vegetarians accept The China Study as fact because it supports our worldview, and dismiss any inconsistencies in the data even if some have merit. It's an interesting question, beancounter!

 

[CrazyCatLady]

I try to find original research articles and then critique them before deciding whether I believe it or not. This only relates to things I already know something about though lol xxx

 

[Kitties]

I get all my information from Fox News of coarse.

Seriously though I'm not as news informed as I should be. Usually I'm just watching CNN and local news.