media questions

What is truth?

In an era of fake news, alternative facts, and sensationalism in the media, how do we know what is fact and what is fiction? Is it possible for something to be somewhere in the middle – not quite fact, not quite fiction? Is an opinion fact or fiction? Can someone have one version of the truth and someone else has a different version? Is the truth different from the facts?

The Eiffel Tower

Do you know what the Eiffel Tower in Paris looks like? How do you know? Perhaps you have visited Paris and gone on a tour of the tower, or maybe you have only seen it in pictures or on television. It seems that every photo of the Eiffel Tower is taken from about half a mile away, either during the middle of the day or at night. Who decides on the photos and videos that inform us about the Eiffel Tower? If you have visited this monument, you know there is a lot we do not see in the photos – the vendors selling souvenirs, the graffiti, and the thousands of tourists walking around. Why do we typically see those things in the imagery of the tower?

Recent Protests

It seems that the country is currently divided on what we should do on various issues – women’s rights, refugees and immigrants, etc. What issues matter to you and why? Do you agree with the protestors or do you think they are just causing trouble? Why do you believe you are right and people on the other side are wrong?

Some More Thought

In the end, we will discover that there is no one truth. The truth can be different for different people. We form our definition of truth based on our life experiences, the people we are influenced by, the beliefs we carry, and much more. Each of us is unique, and we will experience the world differently. This is important to recognize when we study the media. The media is not created by machines, but rather by people with views that may or may not agree with your own.

ASSIGNMENT QUESTION

Think of something you have experienced in the media that challenged your version of the truth. Perhaps a senator made a statement that made you angry, or a newspaper opinion piece said something inflammatory about a group of people you associate with. How did this experience make you feel? Why do you think it made you feel this way? The goal is to start recognizing that the media, and of course society, is made up of differing perspectives, not all of which you may agree with. Facts can be interpreted in different ways. Science can be deemed irrelevant.