10 Commitments to Improve My Relationship with Information
- Shannon Watson
- Jan 31, 2021
- 2 min read
We all know that our political environment is challenging right now. The two prominent sides are far apart, and those in the middle are getting lost in the noise. Its ugly and confusing and hard to deal with. I would also argue, though, it's necessary.
Our collective relationship with information is in question in a way that I couldn't have imagined even a few years ago. We're learning that a lack of common standards and norms is incredibly destabilizing. But this is also an opportunity to examine the way we approach information, facts, and even the concept of truth, and articulate our values.
We all have a part to play in improving our civic culture, in person and online. I'm not going to tell anyone else how to act or how to approach this problem, but I will share the ten commitments I'm making to improve my relationship with political information, and the people with whom I interact in the political arena.
1. I will give space to examine and debate complicated ideas and interactions. I will welcome the next ten words.
2. I will reward leaders - both those with titles and without - for telling the truth. No matter how hard it is to say or to hear, and no matter how politically inconvenient.
3. I will not shame or ostracize those who have become a victim of lies. I will not isolate those who genuinely believe erroneous information, but will try to help them get verifiable facts from credible sources. (This does not include those who know the difference between the truth and a lie and and choose to perpetuate disinformation.)
4. I will not allow the actions of one person to affect an entire group who's membership is not easily controlled. I will, however, hold group leadership accountable for articulating group values.
5. I will commit to radical transparency. I will model the behavior I'm asking others to adopt.
6. I will verify information that comes from questionable sources before sharing, and if I don't have time to verify, I will not share.
7. I will not deliberately spread misinformation -- even and especially to ridicule it -- and will not give amplification to those who do.
8. I will support real media outlets and reporters who employ codes of ethics and editorial control.
9. I will support those reporters and outlets who get a story right, not necessarily get it first. I will not punish or ridicule those who make mistakes, if those mistakes are disclosed and not made out of malice or carelessness.
10. I will reserve my "outrage" for situations that are actually outrageous.
What else am I missing? What steps are you taking to improve your relationship with information?
For those with an interest in communications (most of those of us alive, I would guess) consider reading material by S. I. Hayakawa. It is covered in a high school class I look many years back, and truly brought out the challenges with good communications. The lessons on knowing that your perspective drives your view of reality is truly helpful.
The list of 10 is outstanding. I would add that will further commit to remember to look at the data in presentations and not just the words used. And to engage in conversations with questions meant to further understand and avoid staring with conflict starting statements.
I will model for my children (those in my house and in my classroom) having the courage to tell the truth and the courage to be responsible for and take ownership of my own mistakes, in hopes that it will pass down the lines of generations to come.