Hooked on Media Crack

One of the things that saddens me is how disinformation has become so engrained in our digital mass media, some "news" media, and woven deeply into the political fabric of the country. These are the "alternate fact" sources that aim to weave distrust into the hearts and minds of those who are susceptible to their tactics. And we are all susceptible to one degree or another.
There are a few simple things a person can do to avoid getting too sucked in. First, identify the source of the information. If they have created a name or domain that ties in a major, more trusted, news source such as PBS, NBC, CBS, BBC, along with some extension, they are suspect. Just their name is intentionally misleading. Quite likely, the story they are telling is misleading as well.
Next, is how they present the story. If it includes "here's something the media won't tell you", there's probably a reason the media isn't telling you. It cannot be substantiated. Reliable news sources verify stories. Yes, they make mistakes and sometimes get taken in themselves, but their percentages are pretty good. Some better than others.
Finally, if the style of presentation is emotionally charged, be skeptical. Sometimes a set of facts can leave us feeling emotional but if the presentation is a constant call to be outraged or angry and distrustful of others, the goal is to try to get us to react with our emotions rather than our heads. If you find yourself constantly needing to dial into emotionally charged news sources, you're hooked on media crack.
The result is that no one can tell you that something you believe is not true. You will dismiss fact checking. You will tune out or become angry with reliable news sources because they are not hitting the emotional buttons required to satisfy the loop you have entered. You won't listen to differing views and you'll become unable to present yours without injecting emotion. You'll be fixated on the smallest misstep of reliable sources but totally overlook obvious and consistent mis-information from your favorite sources.
We all need to step back and do a gut check. I find myself getting a bit snarky from time to time. Those are times I think I should step back, take a deep breath and let the other person have the last word no matter how I might feel about it. Then scrutinize myself with the same level of attention I may be directing at others.