As a social worker, I am incredibly interested in a broad number of topics. I have to learn a lot about a lot to be in touch with the broad array of clients I interact with and politics comes up from time to time in sessions.
In fact, the personal IS political and, while it has become too taboo, I always encourage my clients to get more involved in that side of themselves. The environment you live in is important to your well being.
But the key now is when and where to connect. I am reminded of a pickleball friend who fell away from our play group when they started following what we know now was a lot of Russian-planted pro-Trump, fake Hilary news. It was sad to watch but such a great example of how our minds can be controlled.
Particularly today, when the internet has given us a broader interpretation of news and fact, there is a lot of confusion about which media is more fact-based, 'news' and what media is more opinion-based.
Back in 2016 after the presidential election, a lawyer in Colorado by the name of Vanessa Otero decided to create the Media Bias Chart, which attempts to do what it's name says: quantify media bias.
I defer to it often, when talking to others about news. We need a reference point, and the Media Bias Chart is I think a good one!
Be sure to learn more about Ms. Otero and the chart here. In fact Otero wants to become like the Consumer Reports of the media. By that I mean she isn't taking donations from corporations that might try to influence her work. There is so much more to do and she is looking for donations to help her take the chart to the next iteration, which she hopes might be more interactive, for example. If you'd like to help her, click here for more information.
