Pontus Pilate once asked a man named Jesus, “What is Truth?” This is a simple question but in our current reality, it is almost impossible to actually find truth and not confirmation bias. Thiele’s guide to truth. I also give an example of how to think through a complex issue.
The rise of Artificial Intelligence is generating large amounts of content and there is real evidence that the number of falsehoods is mushrooming.
We all wish to have our personal biases confirmed as well.
Reality seems to be only seen on shows like Survivor. I actually worry about our nation and world.
I have a confession that you likely will admit to doing. You may outwardly agree with me or like Jimmy Carter said… You will agree with your heart.
I have posted things that are bullshit. I was buffaloed. I pulled it down as soon as I realized the error. I was victimized by ‘Confirmation Bias.’ We have all done it. You see something that you agree with, but do nothing to confirm if the post, blog, or news source is legit.
Confirmation Bias is truly the greatest evil of the internet age. There are 1.13 billion websites, according to Google, which could be a legitimate outlet for such information. If 1% of all websites are misinformation, that is over 11 million websites dealing in falsehoods. The flood of information is overwhelming and almost impossible to sift through.
We are members of the media. We are gatekeepers of the truth. I love it when listeners send me YouTube video links or article links. I can usually confirm or lance the misinformation boil in the heart in less than 60 seconds.
The first thing that I do is Google search the author. You can learn a lot about someone from that quick search. Are they real? Have they written for websites like BarrettNewsMedia.com? Or are they a nut living in their mom’s basement? Generally speaking, the website that the article comes from is another quick clue. If you have never heard of the website, dig a little deeper. You may have found a great new site to get good stuff for your show. You could also find a website filled with vipers.
The second thing that I do is try to confirm the facts presented. Sometimes this can take a bit. Good articles with misinformation have some solid facts. The falsehoods begin with the conclusions of one particular factoid. This happens with Religion often. I grew up attending religious elementary school and high school. Learning The Bible was part of the curriculum. Verses from either the original or New Testament can be shortened to suit the religious point one may want to make. Context is key. In the book of Job, there is a verse where it says, “Curse God and die.” That was not the intent. Job was a good man who was going through struggles that would break most people. He didn’t break. Job’s wife told him to “Curse God and die”. (She seems like a keeper.) My point is that context is the key. Donald Trump recently got a lot of blowback saying that he would be a dictator on only his first day in office. It was a joke, but out of context, it sounded terrible.
If I still don’t buy what the article or video is selling, I search for the main point of the presentation. If I confirm it, then it is gold.
When you are doing show prep, you are probably seeking unique information to make your show special. Here’s the truth: the information you seek is often in nearly any article on the subject on which you opine. You must digest the article, video, and data. You then can build your show around it. I have been doing a multi-person show for the past few years.
When I set up the subject, I leave details out. Why? I want my news guys to add in the missing information. It creates discussion and makes them seem really smart. If they correct me or push the conversation forward, that is good for the show. Drama. If you do a multi-human show, let your team come across as well-informed and brilliant. It adds to the show. This can also apply to callers. Let them be the star with great details. I hear a lot of hosts who just vomit out all the details and that takes away the drama of the show.
It doesn’t matter what your point of view is on a given subject. We are all tempted to seek the truth that conforms with our opinion. This is really dangerous. You have heard the term “settled science”. For years, we were taught that life on Earth spawned from Amino Acids in a primordial soup billions of years ago on our planet. Now, there is some evidence that every comet or meteorite that has slammed into this blue ball has the potential to carry some form of life on it. I wasn’t here billions of years ago. I am willing to think that makes more sense that life spontaneously generating in the ooze. By the way, the only science that is settled is something that qualifies as a scientific law. Gravity? Pretty unquestionable. Climate Change? Well, Earth’s climate has been changing since the beginning. Man being the lone reason for Climate Change in the modern era? This is a complex question and answer. Pumping pollution in air. Has it had an impact on our planet? Probably. Is it the only reason? Well, the Earth was once covered in glaciers. Humanity was not the reason for that era ending. I really don’t have a good historical idea of those questions and most scientists don’t either. The Climate Change gang are victims of Confirmation Bias. Are they wrong? I don’t know if they are right or wrong. They base the information only on carbon in our atmosphere. That is a very simple sample of the conditions that impact our climate.
Question everything. Question it harder if you believe that it is right. Confirmation Bias is a real evil of our time.
Peter Thiele is a weekly news/talk radio columnist for Barrett Media, and an experienced news/talk radio programmer. He recently served as program director for WHO/KXNO in Des Moines, IA. Prior to that role he held programming positions in New York City, San Francisco, Little Rock, Greenville, Hunstville, and Joplin. Peter has also worked as a host, account executive and producer in Minneapolis, and San Antonio. He can be found on Twitter at @PeterThiele.
