Don't Buy the Bullshit

Whether you call it fake news, alternative facts or blatant lies; it's everywhere. You can find it on social media, the evening news and even in the daily paper. Our media plagued society is riddled with bullshit and it's important we learn how to avoid stepping in it. 

In the book “Measure What Matters” by Katie Paine, Brad Rawlins and Kevin Stoker explain how bullshit is more damaging than lies. They say, “Liars, they argue, have a fundamental respect for—or at least knowledge of—the truth, and they choose not to use it. Bullshitters, on the other hand, use language to blur the truth, and are intentionally careless and vague about the truth.” Since people are more likely to believe a manipulated version of a true story before an obvious lie, it results in the ability to persuade and alter opinions. 

Cracked.com explains three ways the media subtly disguises bullshit as facts.

1.  They commonly use “weasel words.” This consists of phrases like, “many experts agree,” “many people say,” and “some argue.” What experts? Which people? Who’s arguing and what are their qualifications? By omitting this information they’re technically providing the truth. However, they’re attributing their own opinions as unnamed experts.
2. Reporters often imply facts without proof or data. For instance, a headline may read, “Boy, 13, Fired Shotgun at Sibling After Playing Gangster Video Game.” There’s no statistical proof provided linking the video game to the crime. Reporters assume this causation with no evidence. This is a common example of click-bait. The headline attracts these gamers as well as their families and evokes more buzz than if the headline simply read, “Boy, 13, Fired Shotgun at Sibling.”
3. Lastly, media sources have the power to burry inconvenient facts. News writers are taught to provide the most important information first in an inverted pyramid style. This often enables writers to hide unwanted or contradicting details at the bottom of a report where most people never bother to read and/or listen.

So don’t buy it. Recognize these tactics and do your research. In our society, if you always take things for face value, you’re just as guilty as the bullshitters.