A Civics Lesson
Whatever you think of the current administration, I have to give it credit for making so many people care (and hopefully, learn) about what happens within the US government. It’s almost like it goes to the heart of what America is supposed to be about. At least, that’s how I interpret the preamble of the Constitution:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,
Preamble to the United States Constitution
establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense,
promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity,
do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
If we believe our government is doing these things on our behalf, is it wrong to ask for receipts?
If you read something inflammatory on the internet, the chances are good that it was designed to inflame you. It’s not a coincidence that “If it bleeds, it leads” is attributed to William Randolph Hearst. (It also might not be true… but that’s how urban legends work.) Do you think the media industry has changed now that the money comes from selling pixels instead of square inches?
The good news is that our government was designed to be questioned by we, the people. And that’s why things like usaspending.gov, sec.gov, and data.gov exist. And why 25% of the Library of Congress’ contents are available online. Most of us are just too lazy to put in the work.
Media vs. Reality
As a journalist, I know I should always check my sources. And then cross-check them. And then check them one more time – especially if I’m about to say something that could elicit an emotional response from my audience.
But that isn’t always the case when the end goal of hitting “publish” is to drive more revenue, not educate or inform.
TL/DR: If reading something – anything – causes an emotional response that includes physical symptoms (heart pounding, muscles tensing, voices raising) – you may want to ask yourself why cleverly arranged pixels on an LCD screen are causing physiological effects. Are you reacting because it’s true, or because someone used “stimuli that provoke emotional or behavioral responses, often influencing our thoughts and actions without conscious awareness?“
Don’t believe me? Here’s a list of eight “Secret Psychological Triggers Every Marketer Should Know“. There’s even an app to optimize your site for you. Not to be outdone, this site has a list of 72 of them.