---Remember there are always two sides to every story. (Sometimes - even more.)
---If you are reading or watching the "news" and they fail to explain or quote the position of ALL parties involved....they're not reporting the news, just their opinion. (Or their personal spin on the news.)
---Calm your emotions, you're not a toddler; separate them from the facts. (When in life is it ever encouraged to make a decision entirely based on feelings void of rational thought?)
---Being loud, rude, or hysterical --- does not make you morally correct (or even marginally credible).
---If a "news" story is filled with adjectives, especially the headline --- they're not interested in unbiased facts.
For example ---"Politician Shames Women about Abortion"---
Why use the word 'shame'? That is not an objective term. Report what the politician said and let the reader decide if he or she was "shaming" women.
A better headline would read --- "Politician Explains View on Abortion and Motherhood".
---Read a variety of sources when researching information.
---Read the actual websites of the actual candidates.
---Ask yourself, "If roles were reversed, would I feel the same way?" (e.g., a different party, race, sex, religion, orientation, etc.)
---Look for evidence; statistics, charts, photos, direct quotes (from both sides) and a complete telling of the story.
---When reading the news, look for their sources; links, peer reviews, journals, etc.
---If you read about something from a national news source, Google the incident and find a local news outlet's article; they'll have more accurate information.
---If you find a meme or GIF that gets your goat...calm yourself...and research the topic.
---Be respectful. You can be passionate without being hateful.
---Really, just be an adult.
