A good journalist will use the inverted pyramid style which organizes factual information in descending order of importance. This style is crucial and ethically vital as the lead and the first paragraph of the body are most read by the general population.

Journalism with an agenda will usually include all important facts in a story but often prioritize a clickbait type headline and a lead that services the writer or publication’s ideology. Look for the most important facts to be buried halfway down the story or below. In today’s rushed world, many readers never get to that point of the story.

You are smart and deserve reading information that tells the whole story in order of most important facts. No matter what your politics or social beliefs, make sure to seek out publications that try their best to report the facts upfront.

Pretend you are the editor of a big city newspaper. You are about to publish an article from one of your writers that doesn’t quite seem based in 100 percent fact. What do you do? Publish it anyway and risk legal consequences. Do you hurt the reputation of those in the story simply because they have a different opinion. Does public perception of the paper take a nosedive based on not being trustworthy to release a thoroughly accurate article? Or, do you hold off and ask for a rewrite from that writer?

Holding off would be the best option until the inverted pyramid style becomes firmly implemented. Think that way, too, when posting an article on social media. As a self-appointed editor, do you feel 100 percent confident that what you are releasing to friends is based in fact?

Like a good journalist, you have the power to fact check, also. Again, read carefully and across all points of view. Get to know your opponents’ arguments better than they do! By mirroring the best elements of a good journalist, you become part of the solution when it comes to communicating balanced information that serves as a window to our understanding of things.

For starters, though, please note carefully the semblance of information at the top of the story. If it doesn’t look right and seems based in bias, move on to another story. Always read carefully!

Additional reading:
Social distancing via sunsets and fishing
American small business success story: When Pigs Fly bread shop and pizzeria in Kittery, Maine