How to choose your news - Damon Brown

如何選擇新聞 - 戴蒙．布朗

譯者: Geoff Chen 審譯者: Marssi Draw

How do you know what's happening in your world?

你如何得知世上所發生的事？

The amount of information just a click away

資訊浩瀚如海，在點擊之間

may be limitless,

似乎無邊無境

but the time and energy we have

但我們吸收、評論它們的

to absorb and evaluate it is not.

時間和精力卻非如此

All the information in the world won't be very useful

如果你不知該如何閱讀新聞的話

unless you know how to read the news.

世上所有資訊 對你來說就用處不大

To your grandparents, parents,

對你的祖父母、父母

or even older siblings,

甚至較年長的兄姊來說

this idea would have sounded strange.

這想法聽來也許有些怪異

Only a few decades ago, news was broad-based.

僅僅在幾十年前，新聞是廣泛傳播的

Your choices were limited

你的選擇僅僅限於

to a couple of general interest magazines

一些雜誌

and newspaper of record,

報紙

and three or four TV networks

和三或四個電視頻道

where trusted newscasters delivered the day's news

可靠的新聞播報員 每晚在準確的固定時刻

at the same reliable time every evening.

報導著當日新聞

But the problems with this system soon became apparent

但這個系統的弊病

as mass media spread.

在大眾傳媒擴增後 便很快地浮現出來

While it was known that authoritarian countries

儘管大家都知道

controlled and censored information,

威權國家會控制、審查資訊

a series of scandals showed that

然而一系列的醜聞顯示

democratic governments were also misleading the public,

民主國家的政府 也曾誤導公眾

often with media cooperation.

通常是透過媒體企業集團

Revelations of covert wars, secret assassinations,

由於秘密戰事、暗殺計劃

and political corruption

與政治腐敗醜聞的揭露

undermined public faith in official narratives

使公眾逐漸懷疑 主流新聞來源中的

presented by mainstream sources.

官方論述

This breakdown of trust in media gatekeepers

這種對媒體守門人的信任危機

lead to alternative newspapers, radio shows, and cable news

使另類的報刊、廣播節目 和有線電視頻道

competing with the major outlets and covering events

得以和主流新聞頻道一爭高下

from various perspectives.

並從各種不同角度 報導單一新聞事件

More recently, the Internet has multiplied the amount

近來，隨著社群網站、部落格 和線上影片的興起

of information and viewpoints,

網路擴大了

with social media, blogs, and online video

各種意見和資訊量

turning every citizen into a potential reporter.

使每個公民都成為潛在的報導者

But if everyone is a reporter, nobody is,

但如果人人都是報導人的話 真相便難以追蹤

and different sources may disagree,

我們難以核實不同的線索

not only opinions, but on the facts themselves.

不僅無法獲知真實意見 更難以查明事實真相

So how do you get the truth, or something close?

因此，你該如何得知真相？ 或獲得較為可靠的訊息？

One of the best ways is to get the original news

一種最可靠的辦法 是獲得最初的新聞

unfiltered by middlemen.

尋找那尚未被中間人篩濾過的新聞

Instead of articles interpreting a scientific study

不只是閱讀一段 早已經人解讀的科學報告

or a politician's speech,

或政治演說

you can often find the actual material and judge for yourself.

你可以時常搜尋真實資訊 並且自行判斷其真偽

For current events, follow reporters on social media.

對於當下事件，你可以 追蹤社群網路的報導者

During major events, such as the Arab Spring

在重大事件的發生期間，比如阿拉伯之春

or the Ukrainian protests,

或烏克蘭抗議事件

newscasters and bloggers have posted updates and recordings

播報員和部落客會在紛亂的事件中

from the midst of the chaos.

更新線上記錄與資料

Though many of these later appear in articles or broadcasts,

雖然這些資料許多稍後會在 報章雜誌或電視廣播中出現

keep in mind that these polished versions

記得，這些經由修飾過的版本

often combine the voice of the person who was there

通常都夾雜了那在場記者

with the input of editors who weren't.

與不在場編輯的兩種觀點

At the same time, the more chaotic the story,

同時，越是混亂的事件

the less you should try to follow it in real time.

你越不應該盲從於即時報導

In events like terrorist attacks and natural disasters,

在一些重大事件 比如恐怖攻擊或自然災害

today's media attempts continuous coverage

時下的媒體會 試圖不斷地播報此事件

even when no reliable new information is available,

即便他們手上毫無 任何新資訊可供報導

sometimes leading to incorrect information

有時候這樣會導致訛傳

or false accusations of innocent people.

或嫁禍於無罪之人

It's easy to be anxious in such events,

人們很容易在這種事件中感到焦慮

but try checking for the latest information

但，請試著在一天當中的某些時刻

at several points in the day,

獲取這些資訊

rather than every few minutes,

而不是每分每秒地取得資訊

allowing time for complete details to emerge

讓時間來證明可靠線索

and false reports to be refuted.

並排除不實的報導

While good journalism aims for objectivity,

儘管，好的新聞報導追求客觀性

media bias is often unavoidable.

坊間的媒體偏見 仍舊時常存在

When you can't get the direct story,

當我們無法直接獲知故事來源時

read coverage in multiple outlets

你可以儘可能地閱讀多種管道的資訊

which employ different reporters and interview different experts.

來自不同報導者的撰稿 以及不同專家的訪談

Tuning in to various sources and noting the differences

探索不同來源的資訊，注意其差異

lets you put the pieces together

這樣可以讓你拼湊出

for a more complete picture.

完整事件的全貌

It's also crucial to separate fact from opinion.

區分事實與意見，也是很重要的

Words like think, likely, or probably

像是「想」、「可能」或「也許」

mean that the outlet is being careful

意謂著這份報導 正謹慎地提供資訊

or, worse, taking a guess.

或，比較糟的是，試圖揣測

And watch out for reports that rely on anonymous sources.

小心那些依據匿名線索的報導

These could be people who have little connection to the story,

這些可能是一些 跟事件本身毫無關聯

or have an interest in influencing coverage,

或一些試圖藉由 影響報導而獲益的人士

their anonymity making them unaccountable

匿名使他們所提供的資料

for the information they provide.

不可信賴

Finally, and most importantly,

最後，最重要的是

try to verify news before spreading it.

請試著在散播新聞前 確認資訊的無誤

While social media has enabled the truth

雖然社群網路

to reach us faster,

使真相更為迅速地傳播

it's also allowed rumors to spread

它也使謠言在人們明辨它之前

before they can be verified

更易於散佈

and falsehoods to survive

錯誤的資訊 會在得到指正前

long after they've been refuted.

長存於人們口舌之間

So, before you share that unbelievable

所以在你分享那些難以置信

or outrageous news item,

或令人氣憤的新聞前

do a web search to find any additional

請做點查證工作，上網搜尋

information or context you might have missed

看看是否有任何其他 你遺漏的資訊或脈絡

and what others are saying about it.

看看其他人怎麼談論這件事

Today, we are more free than ever

今天，我們比過去 任何時刻都要自由

from the old media gatekeepers

我們免除了舊時代

who used to control the flow of information.

媒體守門人的資訊控制

But with freedom comes responsibility:

然而，更多的自由 也意謂著更多的責任

the responsibility to curate our own experience

這責任意謂著 在展示我們自身經驗的同時

and ensure that this flow does not become a flood,

必須確保這樣的資訊 不至於過分浮濫

leaving us less informed than before we took the plunge.

以避免我們在行動前 取得更少資訊