a bold font & white background does not make a story true.
a few thoughts on media literacy + reads & vibes for your weekend.
The Holiday Season has officially kicked off for me - I’ve watched The Preacher’s Wife, I’m done with work for the year, and have had my annual appearance on BET with my cameo in The Sounds of Blackness “Soul Holidays” video. I am ready to celebrate!
thoughts at large.
I’ve seen an influx of wild and salacious stories over the last few days, so I figured there would be no better time to drop a few tips for navigating online news culture in this day and age.
This week, an interesting story caught my attention about Taraji P. Henson and her experiences as a Black actress in Hollywood. She's been on a media tour for The Color Purple, openly talking about how hard it's been to get paid fairly in her career, and it's still a problem. She even mentioned that she almost left her role as Shug Avery in the movie because she wasn't getting paid enough.
There's been some confusion about this situation, especially around Oprah's role as a producer of the film. Some people thought Oprah was the one not paying Taraji properly, which led to rumors that they weren't getting along during their press tour. Please note that producers don’t set budgets - studios do.
Taraji quickly stepped in to clear up these misunderstandings and explain what was really going on.
The truth is Oprah helped get her the money she deserved and has been footing the cost of this media tour to promote the film - even sending private jets to make sure the cast was taken care of. The craziest part is people are in the comments of Taraji’s post convinced that she’s lying about her own experience, because of their perception of Oprah, and because a random body language “analysis” on TikTok “proved” they were closed off to each other. YOU DON’T KNOW THEM! lol
Misinformation is crazy - and honestly at an all-time high. The solution is media literacy.
Why Media Literacy Is Lit:
In a world where information overload is the norm, media literacy is your superhero cape. It's like having a built-in truth detector, helping you spot the real deal and dodge the fake stuff. Time to level up those critical thinking skills, fam!
Tips for Finding Solid News:
Source Check! Start by giving the source the side-eye. Legit news outlets play by the rules, explain how they are funded, and have a track record for keeping it real. If a website screams "clickbait," maybe swipe left.
Cross-Check Like a Boss: Don't put all your eggs in one news basket. Check a few sources to see if they're singing the same tune. If the story's making the rounds with the big shots, chances are it's not fake news.
Who's Behind the Words? Sherlock Holmes that author! Reputable writers have credibility and know their stuff. Watch out for mystery authors or anyone trying to pull a fast one without credentials.
Own Up to Mistakes: We all mess up. The key is owning it. Trustworthy news outlets 'fess up when they get it wrong. If they're upfront about their mistakes, you know they're playing fair.
No Drama, Mama: Keep an eye out for the drama queens of journalism. If the story's overly dramatic or the headline sounds like clickbait, it might be time to raise your eyebrow.
Time Travel Check: News gets old like Thanksgiving leftovers. Always check the date to make sure you're not reacting to old news. Nobody wants to be the last to know, right?
Fact-Check the Facts: Don't be shy to hit up fact-checking tools like Snopes or PolitiFact. They're like your cool friends who double-check stuff before you commit to the group chat.
What I’ve learned recently is that facts don’t motivate people like we think they should. Folks are going to believe what they’re going to believe and drama is often more exciting than reality. I just encourage you to be careful about what you consume and know - that just because it’s posted online in bold font with a white background - doesn’t mean it’s true!
reads + vibes.
After they turned down his initial offer - Byron Allen re-approached Paramount with an offer to buy BET from them for $3.5 Billion. I love that for him, but I’d also like to know where he gets this money - like… how does he make his money? I’m just saying. Read more at Variety.
I am currently salty that I can’t see it (It’s not showing in Houston,) but American Fiction is now playing in select cities across the country. It stars Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K. Brown, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae and Erika Alexander. Watch the trailer below.
A user on Apple Music has gone viral on TikTok for his incredible Christmas Playlist called “Black Jesus”. Brian Hicks, I don’t know you my brotha, but you are the GOAT! Check it out here if you have Apple Music. If you have Spotify you can check this one out - it’s equally as fire!
I hope you have a happy holiday season. I’ll see you back here next Friday to close out the year with a conversation about celebrating wins.
