News Health: I’m easy to manipulate

Happy Sunday,

“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things.”

Philippians 4:8

I am, apparently, very easy to manipulate.

In 2017, I spent a couple of months consuming only liberal media, then spent a couple of months consuming only conservative media.

Over those months, I watched my views shift and align with whichever news outlet I was pumping into my head. After months of my mostly-CNN diet, I was growing increasingly angry at the people CNN was angry at (President Trump). I began to care more and more about the issues CNN cared about, and worry about the things CNN worried about. I began to think that people who viewed things differently (than me/CNN) were either stupid, evil, ignorant, or all three. 

Then, (*whiplash*) I switched sources.

After months of my mostly-Fox-News diet, my views—especially those on most new-to-the-news-cycle issues—mysteriously began to align with Fox News.

For what it’s worth, this is exactly what I thought would happen… to someone else. But, I thought I would be able to simply observe the differences between the two sides without being drawn in.

In the years since, I’ve told this story many times and the response is always the same. People are sympathetic and kind, critical of the news for being manipulative, and assuming that it’s happening to everyone except themselves.

My challenge for you this week: take the advice you’d give to others. Would you recommend someone else consume as much (or as little) as you? What would you say to a friend who had your relationship with the news?

What do you think?
Jason

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