1. Check facts. Check facts. Check facts.
2. Verify authenticity of sources, and develop trusted sources.
3. Locate and consume original source of information.
4. Do 1, 2, and 3 before becoming outraged or passing it on.
Those these sound like they would only apply to journalism and politics and the internet, I apply them to just about everything in life. I find them useful, and I wish more people would use them. Especially people in journalism and politics … unlike all the people currently embroiled in the Sherrod drama.†
Footnotes- † Especially the Obama Administration. Their overwrought and hasty reaction to a clip of an edited video tape has made them look completely stupid. [↩]