Knowing who is behind the news and how the news industry works are fundamental things you should understand before consuming any information packed as such.

• Whoever is behind the news determines what piece of information will or will not get to you.
• The news industry, just like any other industry, is profit-driven—money and power, basically.

Therefore, take a deep breath: If you are a consumer of news, you’re being manipulated. There’s no way to completely avoid this, but by understanding how it works, you can be less manipulated—or at least be aware of what is happening behind the information.

In the previous post, I explained why close to 90% of the news is about scandals and rumors of scandals, crime, disasters and tragedies, and celebrities. How about the other 10%? A little bit of everything, but mainly:

• Curiosities and oddities
• Opinion
• Government and politics
• Made-to-order news
• Utilities and knowledge

Curiosities and oddities: “There are more bacteria in your mouth than there are people on Earth”—this is a curiosity. “A woman has more than six thousand piercings in her body”—this is an oddity.

Opinion: Not always expressed as an opinion, this type of news usually comes as a statement from an “authority” or a specialist in the matter. “According to Dr. Know-it-all, a specialist in religion from Well Regarded University (WRU), the religious movement led by Pastor A-thorn-in-the-side, which has taken many people out of their traditional religions, is a very dangerous cult.”

Government and politics: Everything about government and politics influences public opinion and therefore the elections. Such news is usually for or against the government, depending on who is reporting.

Made-to-order news: News outlets are more or less like prostitutes of information: the higher bidder takes it. Companies, governments, artists, and other people and institutions need the credibility of a news outlet to influence the public. For a company selling sunscreen protection, for example, broadcasts about the risks of skin cancer from sun exposure during prime-time news coverage are worth a lot more than a TV spot during a commercial break. Made-to-order news can promote or discredit a product; express approval of or demonize a business or person; support or criticize the government.

Utilities and knowledge: “The last date for filing your income tax return is April 30” is a utility. “How to legally reduce your income tax” is knowledge. Plain and simple information like this, unfortunately, is a minority.

As long as there are people on Earth, there’ll always be news. They take advantage of humankind’s thirst for new things, for being informed.

It is up to you as a consumer to decide what information helps you become a better and more capable individual—and what is just garbage, manipulation or a waste of your time.

“I got addicted. News, particularly daily news, is more addictive than crack cocaine, more addictive than heroin, more addictive than cigarettes. ”

– Dan Rather, famous American journalist and news anchor

[Read the first and second parts of this article.]

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