real recognizes real
let's talk about media literacy + reads & vibes for your weekend.
So much has happened in the last week, friend! Let’s not waste any time… and hop right into it!
thoughts at large.
I’ve been closely monitoring the developments of the Tory Lanez trial, and I’ve noticed something extremely shocking. It has absolutely nothing to do with the detail of the case, but more so, the public reaction to it. What have I learned?
The majority of the American online public has no sense of media literacy, whatsoever.
Media Literacy is defined as the ability to critically analyze stories presented in the mass media and to determine their accuracy or credibility. In AAVE: too many of y’all don’t know how to tell the real from the fake.
I’m not going to lie, this is not the first time this has become apparent to me. In fact the last 6 years, between Trump and all of the other “fake news” it’s been really challenging to be a media professional. Oftentimes, it feels like I’m shouting into a black hole about this very topic because in general people would rather believe sensationalism over the truth.
As I shared earlier, I’ve been closely following the Tory Lanez case - if you’re not aware, he’s on trial for allegedly shooting rapper Megan Thee Stallion in the summer of 2020. The trial has been messy, to say the least, and with no cameras allowed in the courtroom, people are relying on “reporters” in the public gallery for updates on the proceedings. The problem is - a lot of these people aren’t really reporters and have been sharing inaccuracies, feeding the court of public opinion with things that just aren’t true.
As someone who cares about facts & truth, it’s tough to watch. In order to do my part, I wanted to share a few ways you can determine whether a news outlet or reporter is credible:
Who is the source? If it’s not readily clear - it might just be the person sharing this information.
If you’re able to identify this source - how does that person know what they know? Are they qualified to give information? What’s their background?
What’s the past reliability of this source? Is it just a random page on the internet, or, do they have a documented track record of sharing quality information?
What’s the evidence and was it vetted?
Is what you’re reading/hearing/watching complete, or are there unaddressed holes in the story?
Stay woke friend. If you’re reading information from the Twitter page of a podcast that regularly interviews IG models, you have to take your info with a grain of salt.
Also, if you’re interested in following the Tory Lanez case from reputable sources, this tweet shares a few names of reporters you can check out.
reads + vibes.
As I mentioned last week - after 10 months, Brittney Griner made it home. From some, her welcome has been less than warm… particularly from right-wingers who wanted to see others brought home before her. Read more from The New Yorker.
After listening to SZA’s SOS, there are a few tracks that stand out but overall, I’m just not in the space for the sad girl vibes. Justin Tinsley wrote a beautiful and insightful review of the album over at Andscape. Here’s a quote that I totally agree with.
If you get a chance, this weekend, you should watch the new episodes of Meghan and Harry on Netflix, and the Beauty & The Beast 30th celebration (ABC/Hulu). It will be worth the time you take to watch it - and we’ll be able to discuss it next week.
That’s all for this week! The year’s almost over friend. Time is flying!