Students at the University of Findlay got a presentation on media literacy from Columbus Dispatch writer and intern coordinator Holly Zachariah.
Zachariah says she thinks the lack of trust in the media partly comes from people not knowing the people in the media.
It used to be believed that reporters had to keep their personal traits secret.
According to Zachariah, it is important to recognize that journalists are people, too, and carry biases and values that they must keep out of the articles they write, which she explains can be challenging.
Sometimes mistakes can happen, especially with how fast information flows and changes, which she said in her presentation makes the job even more difficult.
It is on reporters to make sure the information and sources they share are accurate.
The important thing is to find reporters and outlets you trust to get the story right and subscribe to them.
Zachariah also shared some tips for checking for bias and the accuracy of articles you read.
She said you should always check the URL of the article and the sources mentioned by it.
If you don’t recognize the URL or it seems like it has a political bias, you will want to do some additional research, even if it’s just a simple google search.
Don’t be afraid to question what you’ve read.
You can listen to the interview with Holly Zachariah below.