So true! And such a frustration I have with my intelligent, caring, more mainstream friends who get most of their news from the narrative-shapers of the oligarch-owned media.

There’s such a disinformation campaign out there, such fear being promoted by said media, that even if I share links to articles written by award-winning journalists such as Glenn Greenwald of the Intercept or Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone, friends tell me I’m “seeking out information to confirm my bias.”

No, I tell them, I’m taking responsibility for the media I consume. Sure, I’ll look at mainstream coverage to see what sorts of stories they are telling. But when my BS meter starts beeping on red, such as it did as the Iowa Caucus results started, er, stopped coming in, well I’m not going to simply rely on media outlets who don’t do a little digging into the story.

Thankfully, in 2020, we do have the Internet and there are journalists who are able to better share information than was the case way back in 2000 when the alternative, on-line media was just getting started.

Still, we’ve got to be diligent. We’ve got to do whatever our part is to combat the false narratives and spread media that, at the very least, calls these narratives into question. If those friends I mentioned just did that, just asked the question of, “Is this media giving me the full story?” then we’d be able to make some progress.

Last, much as it is important to be diligent, we also need to pay attention to our energy and know when to take a break. I think a lot of us feel right now like we are running out of time, like we most really go at it all the time, but I’m finding when I get in touch with what my body is telling me, when I take that time to go for a bike ride and listen to the birds and the rivers rather than another political podcast, well, that’s how I get the energy and clarity I really need to be an effective journalist and the kind of human being I want to be, one who is serving others rather than just my own desire to be heard.