Page 18
You nod. "There are. Another red flag is the use of 'they.' Do you know who 'they' are?"
"The people in charge?" the guard replies, unsure of herself.
"Maybe?" you shrug. "But we don't really know and it can change based on our own believes. If there's a group of people I don't like, I may think 'they' means them. Real news will name the people and groups involved. Misinformation keeps it vague so our own biases fill in the gaps, making us react."
"Anything else?"
"Typos are another example. Most legit publishing agencies are careful not to misspell any words. Now, typos can happen to anyone, so typos by themselves are necessarily a red flag -- but it doesn't hurt to reevaluate what you're reading to be sure. It's when you see them with other warning signs that you really need to be careful."
The guard laughs and shakes her head, "I can't believe I didn't know all this!" She slaps your back and you fall to the ground. The other guards stiffen, ready for confrontation, but the head guard just laughs more before helping you back to your feet. She pats the dirt from your shirt, gently to ensure you don't fall again, and walks away with her crew.
YOU HAVE LIVED
Michael Hourigan, 2021
