Trust no one. There are a lot of dedicated journalists, but don’t assume the one in front of you has no bias. If a TV station, website or newspaper swears independence, it still quotes someone first, picks a lead story, and makes hundreds of small decisions that reflect an editor’s opinion. (See earlier story, Identifying news bias: A how-to guide)

To form an unbiased opinion about the world:

• Pay attention to “the enemy.” If you swear by FOX News, watch MSNBC twice each week – and vice versa. You already know what your people think. Pay special attention to a story covered by both stations. Look for points ignored completely by one or the other. Ask why. (And yes, this will hurt a bit.)

• Op-ed or news story? A news story should present facts. An opinion program (talk show) usually features a person on the right or left who cherry picks news details and spins them, drawing conclusions where none exist. (Note: There’s no such thing as a “no spin zone.”)

It’s fine to watch talk-show news; it’s not okay to assume they report facts.

• Avoid news sources that self-identify. The Tea Party Tribune features right-wing updates and general news angled to conservative viewers, but don’t blame the Tea Party Tribune. Unlike some sources, it admits its loyalty upfront. If you buy into the Tribune’s “facts,” you believe biases with your eyes wide open. Occupy Democrats news does the same thing for those who lean left and don’t have the energy to make up their own minds.

• Ask if this story applies elsewhere. A missing blond woman in Aruba draws headlines, but is there a greater truth? Maybe. But tying a story that sells newspapers to women’s rights, domestic abuse, human trafficking or any other high-profile, polarizing issue should raise red flags.

If the story is simply riveting, ask why you care – how does this impact my life? Sometimes “news” is glorified gossip wearing a diamond tiara and pushup bra.

• Separate emotions from facts. Assume a U.S. veteran goes crazy and kills his neighbor. In this lone act – one separate from any honorable service in the military – he might or might not be guilty. Back “vet” out of the equation before drawing a conclusion.

• Look for sound bites. In politics, Republicans and Democrats have writers above my pay grade that spin yesterday’s news. It’s a form of propaganda.

How do you tell if political insiders created copy to skew info? If every Democrat (or Republican) uses the same sound bite to trash a story 24 hours after an event, someone texted them “talking points.” (An aside: These phrases often don’t make sense if you tear them apart, but they sound funny and intelligent at the same time. As a writer, I admire them, even if I think they’re unfair.)

• Identify jargon. People love catchphrases. The “bottom line” or “at the end of the day” dress up the boring “in summary,” and they seem witty, at least when uttered by the first 100 people. In politics, phrases get repeated so often that they become truth, walking the same path Kim Kardashian took to become famous.

“Lamestream media,” for example, succinctly summarizes news that leans left, and at first it was funny. It may even be true. But when a news source tosses that line out and viewers start bobbing their heads in agreement, it seems to speak a global truth without further discussion.

Beware of anything that can trash facts in a single sound bite.

© 2015 SmithTakes.com