In September 2010, Michelle Bachmann accused house speaker Nancy Pelosi of charging taxpayers with her bar tabs while on military jets that "she's flying." This terribly inaccurate quote portrays Pelosi as a drunken fighter pilot, risking tax dollars with her careless impulses. Had this quote not been fact-checked, it's easy to assume that the approval ratings and opinions on Pelosi would quickly plummet. Luckily, Pelosi's reputation wasn't sacrificed because of Bachmann's desperation for attention by vomiting up falsities.
What's crucial to understand about the media is that what is on the news is influenced heavily by corporate greed (something that many people don't know.) Once my newbie friend understands that economic factors influence what is and is not shown on all levels of media, (Commercial Forces That Shape Media Content) they will have a greater understanding of why news is sensationalized and why facts between networks don't always line up. When my friend seeks out news, I would recommend that they stay away from sites that are geared towards gossip or popular and sensationalized news (Digg, Facebook, Twitter.) Granted, those sites do contain small amounts of genuine journalism, but it's rare and not always dependable for an amateur who wants to be well-informed about real issues. I would advise my friend to look at a variety of news sources (MSNBC, FOX, etc) to provide different political and social biases. This way, he/she would consume a diverse group of media where they could more easily get closer to the truth on any issue.
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