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I’m going to throw it to my colleague Angie Holan, editor-in-chief of PolitiFact, for today’s newsletter:
It’s seldom been harder to discern what’s true, whom to trust and what’s reliable than in the age of the coronavirus pandemic — nor has solid information ever been as important.
I sort out fact from fiction every day, and I want to help you do it, too. As editor-in-chief for PolitiFact, I’m monitoring a lot about COVID-19: the latest science on exposure and immunity; projected timetables for social distancing and the development of vaccines; President Donald Trump’s latest news conferences; what the nation’s governors are doing; and what’s happening with jobs, the stock market and the economy. Information is developing and changing, and there’s always something more to look at.
Humans seek information to feel informed and safe. When there are no new developments, or important questions can’t be answered, it leaves us unsatisfied. So we keep looking for information that isn’t there, and that creates frustration. It happens to both journalists and citizens during ordinary times, but it’s intense during high-stress events such as a pandemic.
Still, we can be savvy news consumers, and even find calm in how we engage with the news. I’m following three principles that bring order to how I approach my own news seeking.
Can your bosses see your Zoom messages?
An associate told PolitiFact that if a person with recording privileges — i.e., the person hosting the meeting — decides to record a Zoom meeting to the cloud, then public messages are saved. Watch the fact-check»
Is the White House gift shop selling COVID-19 coins?
WhiteHouseGiftShop.com has a historical connection with the White House that dates back to the Truman administration, but it was taken over by a private company. Get the facts»
Tucker Carlson says the coronavirus isn’t as deadly as we thought
Reputable scientists warned early in the outbreak that there was not a totally accurate picture of how deadly the coronavirus was. There still isn’t. Read the fact-check»
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Alex Mahadevan is a senior multimedia reporter at MediaWise. He can be reached at amahadevan@poynter.org or on Twitter at @AlexMahadevan. Follow MediaWise on TikTok.
