Why You Should Look for Neutral News Sources

This letter to the editor, by Laurie Harmon, appeared in the Hudson Star Observer on August 14, 2025.

Exposure to the sensationalism, rhetoric, and propaganda, so prevalent in our so-called “news” today, causes confusion and sometimes the smartest people can be misled by false “facts.” Often, this poor discernment results from deeply-ingrained personal or religious beliefs about emotionally charged topics.

With so many hot-button issues and concerns in America and the world today, we should commit ourselves to ensuring that the news we read is as accurate and unbiased as possible.

While it’s human nature to feel strong emotions when viewing videos, memes, social media, etc., that shock and anger us, it is irresponsible, reckless, and dangerous to act on and spread rumors before vetting the information and its sources. Without knowing whether what we see is truth, propaganda, or even a combination of both, we are adding to a harmful and perpetually confusing, growing problem in our society.

Recently, a family member sent me a social media post fraught with wildly untrue conspiracies regarding the USAID organization. The cruel and heartless video was full of false facts, misinformation, and propaganda. A quick check using Snopes.com dispelled the untruths regarding USAID, and I passed along the corrections.

The person who sent me that egregious social media post, who’s an intelligent, and usually thoughtful and caring person, left me wondering how/why they were so eager to believe the false conspiracy theory that burning food and denying people vital healthcare resources and vaccinations was actually some kind of benefit for the Democrats.

Examples like this one are rampant, and unfortunately their perpetuation has increased exponentially. We must factcheck the most alarming news stories with extra research, especially if they invoke strong emotional responses.

We should look for news sources that fall in the “neutral” zone, such as “All Sides” (https:// www.allsides.com/unbiased-balanced-news), “Axios” and “BBC.” Simply googling “most neutral news sources” will take you to some helpful info-graphics (ex. https://adfontesmedia.com/interactive-media-bias-chart).

Stop letting political spin doctors and content creators, who are masters of manipulation, think for you. America will be stronger and more united when we learn to identify the difference between fiction and truth.