A quick thread:

There are two things I spend a lot of my time trying to highlight: media bias, and conspiracy theories.

I feel it's important to stress how it isn't incompatible for both of these things to exist.

To be suspicious of the media, but to also trust institutions.

So let's clarify.

Mainstream media very rarely lies to you in black and white. In fact I can't think of any time a respected news outlet has in our time.

They are businesses that rely heavily on trust of product.

It would be fatal if it became known that they ever deliberately stated falsity as fact.

Even News Corp will issue corrections if they get facts wrong (admittedly hidden on page 5).

What EVERY media organisation will do is colour how those facts are presented and often dictate the manner in which they are consumed.

The Daily Telegraph, for instance, realises the majority of its readers aren't going to read the full story.

They will highlight some facts and ignore or downplay others with extremely emotive language, all the while offering helpful front pages to ensure even passing eyes have notions of competency and failing easier inferred and consumed without reading a word.

This is how companies like News Corp exert their influence, they don't invent facts; they control how you consume them.

But it is crucial that whilst we are eternally conscious of how these organisations intentionally frame the truth...

we must be very careful not to start doubting mainstream media is telling the truth.

The implications are arriving at a point where the truth is deemed unknowable and conspiracy theories prevail.

The MAGA world can exist because Trump's supporters were able to dismiss every news story that revealed his failings as fake news. When even Fox News refused to propagate an election fraud lie, they turned on them too.

Recognise and call out bias in our media, do your best to recognise it on both sides, but resist the urge to simply reject the mainstream media as fake news unless the evidence affords you no other option.