Within a few weeks of my breast cancer diagnosis 11 years ago, I was drowning in information. As anyone who's faced a health crisis knows, well-meaning Nightingales swoop in to offer treatment suggestions, doctor names, diet advice.
And I, wanting to make the best decisions and understand my cancer (sounds like "my puppy" or "my garden," doesn't it?), was draining my limited brain power trying to cram a 12-year medical degree into a few weeks of late-night internet searching.
I don't remember how I came to the conclusion that out-thinking the experts was a futile proposition, but I do remember the lift of anxiety I felt when I released the reins of my treatment plan to my wise and experienced doctor at the University of Iowa. I needed to get on with my life, and to do so meant allowing my doctor to use his experience and knowledge to guide my treatment. This didn't mean blind, unquestioning patienthood, but it did mean I relieved myself of the pressure to personally read every cancer study or wrap my head around the complex science beneath each cancer drug.
I realized yesterday that "hand it to the experts" has--until this year--been my attitude toward the presidency. I understood that I needed to move on with my life, let the checked-and-balanced government do its job, trusting that the presidents have wise, stable people advising them. I've always followed the news, but second-guessing presidential decision-making was an occasional diversion, not a daily burden.
Many seem prepared to grant the same grace to Trump. Nicholas Kristof was ready on Nov. 9 to give Trump a chance. Even President Obama reminded Americans that we must now hope for the success of a Trump presidency.
But in the past few days two important factors have collided to prevent me from easing into the "Trust the process" camp.
First, news surged on the problem of Alt-Right and Fake News swamping people's news feeds, causing a disconnect from truth that is unprecedented in our quality-journalism reliant democracy.
Second, Trump has tapped Steve Bannon as his chief White House strategist and senior counselor, and Retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn as his security adviser--two people known for the inflammatory rhetoric and post-truth thinking that trademarks ignorance-seeding fake news sites.
It's one thing to trust democracy when the media is following the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics: Seek the TRUTH and report it; Minimize harm; Act independently; Be accountable and transparent.
When people can't determine legitimate news from fake news, when people accept false information as good-enough post-truth, when facts are no longer checked--or ignored when they are checked, I can't hand over the decision-making to "the experts" with any confidence.
What I can do is subscribe to news sites that adhere to the SPJ standards, to call out fake news for what it is, and to stay vigilant.
Stay vigilant indeed! But in the meantime, so many others are falling for the fake news. It's infuriating and frightening.
ReplyDeleteI so agree! It's especially disconcerting when those in power are A) believing the false news, B) repeating the false news, or C) creating the false news. We are seeing "all of the above."
DeleteI was frustrated by the false news throughout the campaign, as well as the willingness of regular people to believe the falsehoods and spread them.
ReplyDeleteI was also perplexed that the media allowed equivalent weight to the e-mail controversy (done with no malice) with the many egregious acts of power and money influence by Mr. Trump which hurt so many.
I agree, Betsy. I think too many people succumbed to "both candidates are flawed" thinking, without critically evaluating/analyzing those flaws. Faulty comparison. "Nobody's perfect" becomes "all flaws are equal." That's pretty messed up thinking.
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