My high school journalism teacher stressed the importance of reading between the lines. “Always jump to conclusions.” he told the class. “To do so means you’re thinking beyond the obvious.” I often remember his words when I’m researching for an article or blog post, or when I read something that doesn’t sit right with me. It’s a reminder not to take things a face value. This doesn’t mean nothing is ever as it seems, but if your gut tells you something warrants further investigation, go with it.
Jump to conclusions and then back up your feelings with facts.
Just because it’s written, doesn’t make it so
May I be blunt? The Internet is cluttered with garbage, mostly because so many writers don’t want or know how to conduct proper research. However, the web isn’t the only problem. Newspapers and magazine feature columns with a one-sided point of view and even supposed journalistic pieces can slant too far to one side. Still, we think because it’s published, it’s Gospel.
Always consider whether the writer has an agenda, and if so, what those motives might be. Does the author have something to sell or something to hide? If you’re thinking there might be more to a subject or situation, dig a little deeper. You never know what you might find.
Go beyond the first couple of Google pages
You know why content is on the first page of Google? Because the authors use the right keywords. A search engine can’t read a blog post and say, “Whoa, doggy…this is one awesome piece of writing! I’m going to stick it right here on the front page so everyone can see it.” Many factors land content on the front page, stellar research isn’t one of them.
Train yourself to move beyond page one. Start from the end and work your way forward. You may not find the most keyword-laded articles, but you might find intriguing content different from the rehashed and rewritten stuff on Google’s top pages.
Ask questions even if it makes people uncomfortable
Googling a topic is only a small way to research a subject. Get on the horn. Fire off an email. Read. Ask questions. If you suspect something isn’t as it seems, rock an interview. If your questions make people squirm, you might be on to something. Remember, people with nothing to hide don’t mind answering questions.
Go ahead, jump to conclusions. It’s essential for writers to be judgemental. Use your instinct as basis for your writing. You may be on to something.
Well said and a nice reminder for many people. It doesn’t take long at all to check facts and think critically, but it seems people are too busy to do that or just uncaring about what they post, consequences be damned.
Double-check, research the facts, ask hard questions and contact people directly to get answers. A coin has two sides. Only looking at one doesn’t make someone’s opinion of truth a fact.
What a great post! It would be a shame if we believed everything we read without evaluating the content and where it’s coming from. If you read something and your spider sense starts to tingle, then you should do some more digging.
It is easy to fall into the trap of buying into the quick and accessible information. Men With Pens is spot on with the reminder of not losing our critical thinking skills and it is not that much more work. Most importantly, your reputation is on the line.
If your questions make people squirm, you might be on to something – I am one of the lucky one’s – when this happens my antennae immediately go up.
I’m only with you partially on this one. I agree that there’s a lot of junk passing as articles online, so if you don’t know how to sort through your sources, you can end up with a poor quality article because the primary research was poor. That said, I’ve been accused by readers of ‘having an agenda’ when I wrote my holistic health column for Examiner; need I remind anyone that pieces can have a slant, which while not necessarily an ‘agenda’, may be an assumption going into the piece? In my case, I believe in and write about holistic health; therefore, my slant is typically positive, although if a supposed cure has drawbacks I’ll state that too. So while yes, information can be hidden on purpose, more often to me it’s simply the slant….the approach the writer is taking.
Hi Jeanne, that’s very true. I hope my point comes through – that if it’s suggested or suspected there’s an agenda, to find it. As in your case, there may not be ulterior motives at all. However, good writers will always explore all angles.