One Day at a Time
How Our Brains Get Tricked by Misinformation
Daily insights on life in the face of uncertainty, by psychiatrist and habit change specialist Dr. Jud Brewer
Feeling news fatigue or losing hold of knowing who to trust?
You’re not alone. Having too many options of what to read or watch mixed with bursts of excitement can trick your brain into spreading false information and leave you feeling burned out. Fortunately, there is something you can do about it.
Let’s explore.
Margaret Sullivan, a columnist for the Washington Post, recently wrote that the media must stop live broadcasting the president’s daily briefings. She argued that he is spreading misinformation and using these briefings as a substitute for his now defunct campaign rallies. NPR member station KUOW in Seattle did just that.
One KUOW listener equated the briefings to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chats during World War II and called the move censorship. While this pandemic does feel like a war, NPR rightly pointed out that back in the 1940s, newspapers and radio were the only sources of news. Today, there are so many ways to spread information that one source choosing not to broadcast a story doesn’t block the…
