by Carol Peterson, Corvallis
As we listen or watch the news and social apps, we need to learn to judge fact from opinion. In the 70’s because of poor journalism, when our military came home from Vietnam they were greeted with protests and people calling them “baby killers.”
The power of journalism is great; one can tell the story picking out the facts that support their story and add their opinion. A good author can be very convincing.
Fact or opinion? The economy has improved, opinion. Fuel prices are down, fact. Health insurance costs more, fact.
Now with AI generated pictures and other apps we can be fooled by a picture. My generation grew up believing that a picture is worth a thousand words. Now a picture is like a frame from a movie. They can change the background; they can make a person look like a lion.
Fear is something that is used often to get us to act unhealthy. I was once told that sometimes one can choose from good acts or bad acts by looking at the words in our end goals. Good – kindness, appreciation, friendliness, guidance, educate. Bad – fear, shame, gossip, put down, dethrone, bullying.
As citizens it is our duty to stay informed. We also need to be wise and able to judge what we see and hear. We need to take an active part in our community.
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