Perspectives & bias

You might have heard people say something like, "Every information source is biased."

(You might also have heard teachers say, "Don't use biased sources when doing research," so that's pretty confusing.)

A better way to think about this is: "Every information source is created by someone with perspectives."

Some perspectives are merely a way of looking at things based on something that really matters to the person.

But other perspectives might have been distorted by bias, like a flawed lens that twists what someone is looking at into something else.

Questions to consider include:

How much has a person's perspective been distorted by bias?
Has a perspective that's been distorted by bias led them to misrepresent the truth?

Some clues that bias is at work include:

rejecting settled facts and refusing to consider evidence that contradicts their interpretation
using inaccurate evidence to support their interpretation
claiming evidence supports their interpretation when it doesn't
claiming to be objective when they're not

If you find an information source that was created by someone with a strong perspective on the topic, you could spend some time investigating their reputation for:

accepting settled facts
reporting fairly and accurately
and acknowledging they have a perspective and are not "just trying to tell the truth" when they're not

Or, if you're uncomfortable using an information source created by someone with a strong perspective on the topic, look for other information sources that aren't taking sides or trying to persuade you about something.

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