Prayer for the City
Media
This devotional is written by Sarah Harris. Journalist, small person, worrier, dad joker, pub frequenter, terrible cook, enthusiastic eater.
What is the truth? We're told very clearly in Bible what the Truth is. It's Jesus: the way, the truth and the life. So far, so good. But it's not always so easy to figure out what the truth is in our day-to-day lives.
Barely a day goes by when I don't see someone sharing something that simply isn't true on social media. Despite efforts to crack down on it, fake news still litters the internet, encouraged by both ends of the political spectrum using it for their own gains, and it's left many confused and distrustful of bigger news outlets (or "mainstream media" as they are sometimes called, often disparagingly).
As Christians, we should be guardians of the truth. How are we supposed to be able to speak with any integrity about the Gospel if we are at the same time spreading misinformation about other things?
It's imperative that we take responsibility for ensuring we don't share fake news. We can all play our part in helping to fight back against it and instead promote truth and honesty. View everything you read with a critical eye - this doesn't mean immediately assuming it's wrong, but simply not necessarily accepting things at face value just because they support a belief you hold. Find out if the outlet which has published the story is reputable one. There has been a proliferation of political blogs and sites pretending to be local newspapers appearing online and sharing things which simply aren't true, so it's worth taking a moment to find out what the source of your news is. Of course, no outlet is perfect but a quick Google can often reveal if the site you're looking at is trustworthy or not.
There is a brilliant video here for more tips on how to spot fake news here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7eCB2F89K8
Lord, give me a discerning eye when I read and share things online. Help those who work in the media to prioritise the truth as they work. May we all be able to resist the temptations and pressures we face to share fake news.
Barely a day goes by when I don't see someone sharing something that simply isn't true on social media. Despite efforts to crack down on it, fake news still litters the internet, encouraged by both ends of the political spectrum using it for their own gains, and it's left many confused and distrustful of bigger news outlets (or "mainstream media" as they are sometimes called, often disparagingly).
As Christians, we should be guardians of the truth. How are we supposed to be able to speak with any integrity about the Gospel if we are at the same time spreading misinformation about other things?
It's imperative that we take responsibility for ensuring we don't share fake news. We can all play our part in helping to fight back against it and instead promote truth and honesty. View everything you read with a critical eye - this doesn't mean immediately assuming it's wrong, but simply not necessarily accepting things at face value just because they support a belief you hold. Find out if the outlet which has published the story is reputable one. There has been a proliferation of political blogs and sites pretending to be local newspapers appearing online and sharing things which simply aren't true, so it's worth taking a moment to find out what the source of your news is. Of course, no outlet is perfect but a quick Google can often reveal if the site you're looking at is trustworthy or not.
There is a brilliant video here for more tips on how to spot fake news here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7eCB2F89K8
Lord, give me a discerning eye when I read and share things online. Help those who work in the media to prioritise the truth as they work. May we all be able to resist the temptations and pressures we face to share fake news.
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