Truth in the Media

Many news organizations are biased toward anyone or any policy that supports their own agenda. If they could, they would do all the thinking for you. That's why when I hear/read/see something that tries to influence my opinions, I try to research the subject in question by looking at as many sources as possible to gather as much evidence as possible (it's the scientist in me) and applying gold ol' LSAT logic to the evidence so I can form my own opinion on the matter.

All politicians twist the facts to make them sound like something that supports their side. It's part of the marketing game, whether your selling toilet paper, computers, causes, or political offices. You simply can't trust any of them to tell you the whole truth. They leave bits out, they use words that imply things that aren't true, and they, of course, only stress their accomplishments and rarely acknowledge their mistakes. So whenever I hear something positive or negative from anyone running for office, I look it up myself.

A very good, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that is not affiliated with any company, union, lobbyist, etc. is http://www.factcheck.org (they happily point out the mistakes, lies, etc. on all sides). But it should also be noted that FactCheck.org is primarily funded by the Annenberg Foundation, which was established by the publisher Walter Annenberg, a prominent Republican whose widow, Leonore, is a contributor to the McCain campaign. So keep that in mind when you're reading their articles. (Rule #1 in looking for facts in the media is always follow the money. Find out who is funding their paycheck before you believe a word they say.)