Study indicates our tendency to ignore news that conflicts with our worldview.

Studies like this one underscore the necessity for reading or viewing a number of media sources instead of relying on one or two.

As we age, the danger of viewpoint ossification increases. We seek certainty. When a news story contradicts our particular worldview, then chances are good we'll minimize its value, criticize its source, or seek out other stories to offset the perceived threat to our cozy little worlds.

The Founding Fathers, especially Thomas Jefferson, were acutely aware of this natural tendency, despite having no name for it. Jefferson felt so strongly about the dangers of narrow-mindedness and simple-mindedness in the electorate that he donated all his books to start a library (University of Virginia). Along with the other founders, Jefferson noted that the dangers of a free press were far outweighed by having no press at all.

We find ourselves in an awkward situation today. Our media strives for profit. Profit motive fuels the tendency of the media to feed consumers what they want instead of what they need, viz., real news and conflicting stories.

My prescription: Read many sources, take them all with a grain of salt. Don't parrot some bozo who makes his or her money from maintaining an audience instead of actually adhering to a code of journalistic ethics.

False balance is giving in to the wrong side

This story gets at a complaint I've had for years against the press.

My problem has been the attempt to present a "balanced" view or an even-handed story when the facts are not so balanced and even-handed.

Attempting to provide balance when the facts scream otherwise is nothing but press bias in its own right.

For example: To be balanced when you report on the world being round, you should probably give equal time and the appearance of equal weight to those who say the Earth is flat.

Now, most of us would think the flat earthers don't deserve the same billing as the rest of us and we'd be right. But, by giving equal weight to the flat earth advocate, we'd be giving them MORE weight than they deserve.

Can you see my point?

When someone demands balance from the press they are in essence admitting they are in a weak position and are demanding that the world give them an advantage not warranted by their position.

False balance is just as wrong as being an ideologue.

Out groups not necessary for in group cohesion.

This study offers some insight into the "out-group homogeneity effect (OGHE)."

The OGHE is a cognitive bias found in all humans. Basically, a person tends to view people that are perceived to be different as more similar to each other.

For instance: If you perceive yourself as a member of a minority, then you are more apt to view those not in your minority as being all alike, e.g. "All white people look alike to me or all straight people are homophobes, etc."

The reality is that most people do not fit neatly into such bigoted boxes.