2) Some of us are attempting to provide an alternative to the mainstream media.
If we endeavor to provide an alternative to Fake News journalism, we need to first consider what it means to be a journalist.
3) Journalism has a code of ethics and it includes a duty to report the facts fairly and truthfully to the best of our ability.
(Being a citizen journalist does not absolve us of this responsibility.)
4) The exception is if and when we choose to contribute an opinion. Then our obligation is to present our views and opinions. (Our audience should be told when we're providing opinion and when we're reporting the news.)
6) The hallmark of poor journalism is reporting on a story that hasn't been adequately researched.
Poorly researched reports can permanently damage the credibility of the reporter.
Even a citizen journalist.
7) Timing is an important factor in reporting the news.
Most people want to break a story first.
But if you file your report too soon, you run the risk of not having all the relevant facts and you may include information that hasn't been adequately vetted.
9) For many citizen journalists, the sweet spot lies between having the first report, which is often lacking in detail, and the last report, which has less relevance due to saturation of the news cycle.
12) I try to avoid sensationalism and unnecessary speculation.
Sometimes rabbit holes can provide helpful background information but there are a million of them out there and not all are worth exploring.
Some are nothing but distractions.
13) I try as much s possible to get my information from reputable sources. But sometimes that isn't possible.
When a questionable source is cited, it's a good idea to tell people that so they know they should take the information with a grain of salt.
14) The most difficult barrier for the citizen journalist to overcome is confirmation bias.
Confirmation bias drives us to look for and trust any report that confirms what we already believe.
Even when that report is biased, poorly sourced or an outright lie.
15) Confirmation bias gives more weight to our feelings than facts.
It encourages us to report things incorrectly—in the light of what our emotions say rather than what the facts say.
16) This morning, I was inundated with private messages reporting on the supposed indictment of Hillary Clinton.
Someone did a YouTube video claiming to prove the indictment had already happened.
The problem is that the document in question is fake.
17) Just like the other documents claiming that famous people have been indicted.
YouTuber scammers have made a lot of money pushing these false claims on gullible people.
18) YouTubers looking to make money don't care about integrity, fairness, objectivity or truth. They'll say whatever they need to say to make money.
They're not citizen journalists and they should not be taken seriously.
19) If you consider yourself to be a citizen journalist, you'll need to decide what path you're going to take.
The path of sensationalism, clicks and half-truths ...
Or the path of journalistic integrity.
21) I've always enjoyed sharing other people's content on my page. I appreciate the work of others and I know my followers like seeing their unique perspectives.
22) There are some good researchers in the Q movement.
But I'm responsible for the content on my timeline.
I can't in good conscience share information that I know is untrue or which has not been adequately researched.
23) I would share more work from fellow Q researchers were it not for the fact that some (who are strong researchers) post things claiming them to be true that Q has debunked.
(Confirmation bias seems to be preventing some researchers from accepting these things as truth.)
24) I will gladly share more posts from fellow Q researchers if the work is presented more objectively, with less sensationalism and a higher level of journalistic integrity.
25) We are the replacement of the Fake News media.
But until and unless we hold ourselves to a higher standard than their reporters hold themselves to, we'll never be taken seriously.
If we refuse to report the facts objectively, like them, we are nothing more than fake news.
