0:00:11.959,0:00:16.917
My biography on my Twitter page says

0:00:16.918,0:00:21.307
I am a skeptic and an optimist.

0:00:22.789,0:00:26.968
I believe in science,[br]and infinite possibilities

0:00:26.968,0:00:30.763
and that kind of sums up what I am going[br]to be talking about today.

0:00:32.418,0:00:35.327
What a world we could live in

0:00:35.328,0:00:40.337
if we were a truly informed society.

0:00:40.338,0:00:45.541
A society that, by and large,[br]understood every facet

0:00:45.542,0:00:52.371
of the social, political, environmental,[br]economic realities that we face everyday.

0:00:53.741,0:00:57.691
Well, a news culture often indicates

0:00:57.691,0:01:03.150
its potential for being truly informed.

0:01:03.151,0:01:06.863
Hi, my name is Coleen Christie.

0:01:06.864,0:01:10.975
I am a news anchor,[br]a broadcast journalist, if you will,

0:01:10.975,0:01:15.594
and I am a little hesitant to say that[br]because I recently found out

0:01:15.594,0:01:21.325
that broadcast journalists rank number six[br]on the list of most despised professions.

0:01:21.325,0:01:22.839
(Laughter)

0:01:22.840,0:01:26.268
We are just above tax auditors.

0:01:26.268,0:01:27.290
That's right,

0:01:27.290,0:01:30.500
most people like tax auditors[br]better than broadcast journalists.

0:01:30.500,0:01:32.654
(Laughter)

0:01:32.655,0:01:36.227
It sort of feels like when Sally Field[br]made her Oscar acceptance speech,

0:01:36.228,0:01:39.005
but it is the opposite; [br]you hate me, you really hate me.

0:01:39.006,0:01:40.281
(Laughter)

0:01:40.282,0:01:42.720
Not me personally,[br]give me a few minutes, you might.

0:01:42.721,0:01:43.806
(Laughter)

0:01:43.807,0:01:47.188
But at least we are doing better[br]than lawyers, they are at number three.

0:01:47.188,0:01:49.862
That gives me hope.

0:01:49.863,0:01:50.958
(Laughter)

0:01:50.959,0:01:56.084
I anchor for CTV Vancouver, an affiliate[br]of the number one network in Canada.

0:01:56.084,0:02:00.998
I got my start in news[br]in a rather unusual way.

0:02:00.998,0:02:06.202
I started in marketing and promotion[br]so it gives me a unique perspective,

0:02:06.203,0:02:09.752
on the business of news;[br]you see, I have always understood

0:02:09.753,0:02:13.806
that news is a product[br]that needs to be sold.

0:02:13.807,0:02:16.831
But it is a really important product.

0:02:16.832,0:02:19.127
I grew up in a home[br]where news was important.

0:02:19.128,0:02:22.030
My mother would pour[br]over the morning newspaper

0:02:22.031,0:02:23.965
on the days that she was not working.

0:02:23.966,0:02:27.997
She knew all of the issues,[br]all of the players,

0:02:27.998,0:02:31.145
and she had a grade-8 education.

0:02:31.146,0:02:34.221
As a family, we would watch[br]the nightly newscast together,

0:02:34.222,0:02:35.751
and we actually paid attention.

0:02:35.752,0:02:38.163
I think that because my parents[br]came from poverty,

0:02:38.164,0:02:44.412
they were very aware of the importance[br]of informing us and educating us.

0:02:44.412,0:02:49.061
Conversations over the dinner table[br]were often political, often heated.

0:02:49.062,0:02:52.649
"Please pass the gravy, I cannot believe[br]you are such a socialist!

0:02:52.650,0:02:55.477
Would you like more potatoes?"[br]That sort of thing.

0:02:55.478,0:02:57.197
(Laughter)

0:02:57.198,0:03:00.489
Yeah, back then, our choices[br]for news sources

0:03:00.490,0:03:04.248
were a little more limited[br]than they are now, that is for sure,

0:03:04.249,0:03:05.832
but wherever we got our news,

0:03:05.833,0:03:10.677
we pretty much trusted that it would be[br]trustworthy and dependable.

0:03:10.678,0:03:14.322
Boy! Things have changed, haven't they?

0:03:15.342,0:03:20.042
In this modern news-age,[br]information is power,

0:03:20.043,0:03:25.432
and never has our ability to leverage[br]that power been more at risk.

0:03:26.332,0:03:29.832
In the last ten years, there has been[br]a remarkable change

0:03:29.833,0:03:32.577
in our news consumption habits.

0:03:32.578,0:03:36.326
Due, in large part,[br]to the explosion of digital media.

0:03:36.327,0:03:39.909
That explosion has created[br]more competition,

0:03:39.910,0:03:44.451
and it has changed our legacy platforms,[br]being newspapers and televisions,

0:03:44.452,0:03:49.571
and it has actually changed[br]what we consider "newsworthy" to be.

0:03:52.101,0:03:54.159
In a recent survey

0:03:54.160,0:03:56.293
- you might find this interesting -

0:03:56.294,0:04:02.028
nearly 90% of North Americans said[br]they were "hungry for their daily news",

0:04:02.028,0:04:03.104
but get this;

0:04:05.304,0:04:09.114
nearly 50% of them said[br]they could not trust it.

0:04:10.924,0:04:12.810
Trust is an issue,

0:04:12.810,0:04:18.678
and I think part of that trust issue is[br]wrapped up in our sense of bias in news.

0:04:19.791,0:04:26.076
Yes. of course, with polarized news[br]organizations like Fox News on the right,

0:04:26.076,0:04:31.035
and MSNBC on the left, [br]it is absolutely clear that bias exists,

0:04:31.035,0:04:33.245
but as a journalist on the inside,

0:04:33.246,0:04:37.974
I think it is an oversimplification[br]to say that all media is biased.

0:04:37.975,0:04:41.229
In fact, I propose to you today

0:04:42.530,0:04:46.527
that the problem[br]with media is not bias at all.

0:04:47.767,0:04:52.266
The problem with news today is you.

0:04:53.116,0:04:56.391
The question I put to you[br]is not which news you can trust,

0:04:56.392,0:04:59.650
but can you trust yourself[br]to consume it wisely?

0:05:00.831,0:05:04.218
News, in essence, is factual storytelling.

0:05:04.219,0:05:09.056
Everyday, journalists attempt[br]to share information through stories.

0:05:09.057,0:05:12.100
But let's make something[br]very clear from the get-go.

0:05:12.101,0:05:18.420
There are essentially[br]two kinds of sources for news.

0:05:18.421,0:05:24.306
There is mainstream credible news,[br]and then there is everything else,

0:05:24.307,0:05:26.637
and based on your lack of trust,

0:05:26.638,0:05:30.805
the line between the two must seem[br]pretty blurry to you.

0:05:30.806,0:05:34.105
Now of course there are exceptions.[br]There are always exceptions.

0:05:34.105,0:05:36.650
The simplest definition of "credible news"

0:05:36.650,0:05:41.078
is: information reported after[br]a rigorous series of checks and balances

0:05:41.078,0:05:43.828
to ensure accuracy and fairness.

0:05:43.828,0:05:46.386
Most people consume their news everyday[br]

0:05:46.386,0:05:49.701
without knowing that,[br]or even thinking about it

0:05:49.701,0:05:52.611
and I think it is important[br]we understand the process.

0:05:54.031,0:06:00.709
So for example, in television, news ideas[br]come from anywhere and everywhere.

0:06:01.639,0:06:07.143
It is our assignment editors job[br]to assemble those ideas

0:06:07.144,0:06:11.597
and create a potential list[br]of the stories that we will cover.

0:06:11.598,0:06:14.931
The next step in the process[br]might surprise you.

0:06:15.912,0:06:20.589
We actually debate and discuss[br]each one of those stories' ideas.

0:06:21.909,0:06:25.785
A group of highly experienced, trained,

0:06:25.786,0:06:28.875
knowledgeable, diverse individuals,

0:06:28.876,0:06:31.876
practically anybody in our news room[br]who wants to participate,

0:06:33.056,0:06:36.949
weighs the news value merits[br]of each story.

0:06:36.950,0:06:41.198
Is it something our audience wants?[br]Is it something our audience needs?

0:06:41.198,0:06:45.534
Next, we assign stories to our reporters,[br]our "boots on the ground".

0:06:45.535,0:06:49.167
They go out and they find facts,[br]and they assemble those facts,

0:06:49.168,0:06:52.037
and they provide context for the story.

0:06:52.038,0:06:57.918
Yes, some stories are more complex[br]than others, but generally speaking,

0:06:57.919,0:06:59.614
if, at the end of the day,

0:07:00.735,0:07:04.153
a new story does not have [br]enough news value,

0:07:05.804,0:07:09.867
or if it does not pass the 'sniff test',[br]it does not make it to air.

0:07:09.867,0:07:13.761
That is how most news rooms[br]throughout the world work.

0:07:13.762,0:07:16.329
For the most part, that process works.

0:07:17.849,0:07:20.917
The one thing we cannot escape

0:07:20.918,0:07:24.017
is the perception of bias.

0:07:24.018,0:07:28.069
We fight very hard to avoid it,[br]but we cannot, somehow,

0:07:28.070,0:07:31.414
avoid the perception of bias[br]in our reporting.

0:07:31.415,0:07:33.871
Let me give you an example.

0:07:33.872,0:07:38.456
We are accused of two things [br]whenever we cover an election campaign.

0:07:38.457,0:07:39.803
We are accused

0:07:39.803,0:07:44.767
of simultaneously supporting the incumbent[br]and supporting the challenger.

0:07:44.767,0:07:45.842
(Laughter)

0:07:45.842,0:07:49.316
It never fails. It never fails,[br]and of course, we are not doing either.

0:07:50.397,0:07:55.467
You see, mainstream news[br]has no political agenda.

0:07:55.468,0:07:57.172
"What?" you say.

0:07:58.173,0:07:59.564
It is absolutely true.

0:07:59.565,0:08:03.262
Mainstream news has no political agenda.

0:08:03.263,0:08:05.784
Yes, there is right-wing[br]conservative news, and yes,

0:08:05.785,0:08:08.606
there is its counter-balance on the left,

0:08:08.607,0:08:11.372
but I am talking about mainstream media.

0:08:11.373,0:08:15.300
For those of us who work in the middle,

0:08:15.300,0:08:19.667
the very notion of partisan conspiracies

0:08:19.668,0:08:22.457
is absolutely ridiculous.

0:08:23.538,0:08:26.947
Except for that lunar landing,[br]that was a total fake, never happened.

0:08:26.947,0:08:28.549
(Laughter)

0:08:28.549,0:08:30.511
Now, of course, that is not the case

0:08:30.511,0:08:33.715
with organizations[br]which use narrative journalism

0:08:33.715,0:08:39.043
to promote a particular ideology,[br]a political perspective.

0:08:39.044,0:08:41.379
No, and they are harder to spot these days

0:08:41.379,0:08:45.318
with the proliferation [br]of online news sources

0:08:45.318,0:08:47.738
that do not use[br]journalistic checks and balances

0:08:47.738,0:08:52.136
and so easily can be passed[br]off as legitimate.

0:08:54.576,0:09:00.460
And mistakes that can be perceived[br]as bias, can be made,

0:09:00.460,0:09:04.452
but I believe they are less intentional[br]than you might think.

0:09:04.453,0:09:06.289
And when those mistakes are made,

0:09:06.289,0:09:11.653
most credible media outlets[br]adhere to their own self-discipline.

0:09:11.654,0:09:15.504
The news media has been correcting errors[br]along the way for more than 100 years

0:09:15.505,0:09:17.829
and whether to our general[br]satisfaction or not,

0:09:17.830,0:09:21.477
it has to be acknowledged[br]that it certainly does happen.

0:09:21.478,0:09:25.261
Discipline is big part of the job,

0:09:26.401,0:09:31.060
but it is not exactly the toughest part[br]of the job for me personally.

0:09:32.480,0:09:36.610
In case you did not get this already,[br]when I go to work in the morning,

0:09:36.611,0:09:40.547
I do not have to worry[br]about being infected,

0:09:40.548,0:09:46.498
shot, kidnapped, tortured,[br]raped, or executed

0:09:46.518,0:09:48.976
like some of my colleagues do.

0:09:48.977,0:09:53.077
Shout-out to the colleagues in the field[br]who risk their lives every day.

0:09:53.078,0:09:54.486
(Applause)

0:10:00.776,0:10:03.197
Yeah, it is a calling, it is a calling.

0:10:03.198,0:10:04.630
No, I got it pretty good,

0:10:04.630,0:10:07.934
considering tough day at the office[br]for me might be a bad hair day

0:10:07.934,0:10:09.200
(Laughter)

0:10:09.200,0:10:12.975
but it is not tough for me, it is tough[br]for you because you have to look at it.

0:10:12.975,0:10:14.224
See how that works?

0:10:14.225,0:10:18.979
The hardest part of my job[br]is keeping my mouth shut.

0:10:21.579,0:10:23.746
I am not talking about afternoon meetings

0:10:23.747,0:10:26.554
where my colleagues would love it[br]if I kept my mouth shut.

0:10:26.554,0:10:30.177
No, I am talking about[br]when I am presenting facts,

0:10:30.178,0:10:36.415
I cannot telegraph my own [br]personal opinions on divisive matters.

0:10:36.416,0:10:40.121
I cannot let that through.

0:10:41.071,0:10:42.918
I cannot risk it.

0:10:42.919,0:10:48.278
As a communicator, it is my job[br]to help you understand the story,

0:10:48.278,0:10:51.147
it is not my job[br]to tell you what to think.

0:10:51.147,0:10:54.691
I cannot risk it, we cannot risk it.

0:10:54.692,0:10:57.109
You see the truth is,

0:10:57.110,0:11:02.399
mainstream media[br]cannot afford to take sides.

0:11:02.400,0:11:05.448
I use the word "afford" on purpose.

0:11:07.238,0:11:09.757
Bias is bad for business.

0:11:10.778,0:11:13.337
Let me show you[br]how the money works on that,

0:11:13.338,0:11:15.227
we will just follow the money.

0:11:15.228,0:11:17.117
Our democratic society needs [br]

0:11:17.117,0:11:20.767
independet news[br]to keep us informed and free.

0:11:20.767,0:11:26.722
And news, the news industry,[br]needs consumers to survive.

0:11:27.952,0:11:33.164
So in television, consumers are viewers.

0:11:33.164,0:11:35.410
The more viewers, the higher the ratings,

0:11:35.411,0:11:38.398
the higher the ratings,[br]the more ad revenues.

0:11:38.399,0:11:41.478
Ad revenues maintain operating budgets,

0:11:41.478,0:11:48.081
operating budgets pay for journalists[br]to gather information to keep us free.

0:11:48.081,0:11:49.554
That is how it works.

0:11:50.795,0:11:56.343
Any blatant bias on our part[br]could potentially alienate

0:11:56.344,0:11:58.682
vast numbers of our viewers.

0:12:00.062,0:12:02.197
That is a bad idea.

0:12:02.197,0:12:06.575
Bias is just bad business[br]in the news business.

0:12:08.415,0:12:11.433
Some recent studies have revealed[br]some interesting statistics

0:12:11.434,0:12:13.567
on our consumption habits.

0:12:15.078,0:12:20.946
I should note that most of us[br]still consume our news from television.

0:12:20.947,0:12:24.431
But we are branching out.

0:12:24.432,0:12:30.509
A majority of North Americans now say[br]they consume news on multiple platforms.

0:12:31.780,0:12:36.041
Still, nearly 90% of us[br]are consuming that news

0:12:36.042,0:12:39.608
from one single news organization.

0:12:39.608,0:12:43.079
So let me tell you what that looks like,[br]I will paint a picture for you.

0:12:43.079,0:12:46.724
You are at home,[br]you have got the TV on to CNN,

0:12:47.894,0:12:51.873
you have the tablet open to CNN's webpage,

0:12:51.874,0:12:56.015
you are following CNN's breaking news[br]on your Twitter feed on your phone,

0:12:56.016,0:12:57.558
and you have no social life.

0:12:57.559,0:13:00.029
(Laughter)

0:13:00.030,0:13:01.594
Myopic?

0:13:02.502,0:13:03.502
Yeah, perhaps.

0:13:03.502,0:13:06.471
Unless you have got a thing[br]for Wolf Blitzer. Hey, no judgment.

0:13:06.471,0:13:07.953
(Laughter)

0:13:07.954,0:13:10.254
Here is the ironic part though.

0:13:10.255,0:13:12.905
In a survey done this year,

0:13:12.906,0:13:18.205
North Americans said they feel[br]more informed than ever before.

0:13:19.425,0:13:24.445
Well of course we feel more informed,[br]it feels like we are getting more news,

0:13:24.446,0:13:26.789
but what we are getting[br]is more of the same news.

0:13:26.790,0:13:30.115
It is coming at us faster and faster[br]and we know statistically,

0:13:30.116,0:13:34.383
that our attention spans[br]are getting shorter and shorter.

0:13:34.384,0:13:39.282
That is changing the kind[br]of news we want to consume.

0:13:40.442,0:13:44.395
Trying to keep your attention[br]has never been harder.

0:13:44.396,0:13:49.246
In television the average news story[br]is less than two minutes long.

0:13:49.247,0:13:53.543
Sometimes as short as 20 seconds.

0:13:53.544,0:13:55.040
Think about that.

0:13:56.610,0:13:57.767
Wow.

0:13:58.898,0:14:01.871
Boredom is your bias,

0:14:01.872,0:14:06.104
and if we do not keep you engaged,[br]you are going to leave.

0:14:06.904,0:14:09.071
We do not want you to leave.

0:14:09.072,0:14:13.652
In television, we spend all day gathering[br]quality information that you can trust,

0:14:13.653,0:14:15.868
even though 50% of you do not trust it.

0:14:15.869,0:14:17.922
(Laughter)

0:14:17.923,0:14:22.421
Your information dinner is served,[br]and we throw in dessert too.

0:14:22.422,0:14:24.930
Oh yeah, trending videos.

0:14:24.931,0:14:27.092
You know, the bizarre,[br]the wacky, the funny.

0:14:27.093,0:14:29.849
They make it into [br]most major newscasts now,

0:14:29.850,0:14:33.948
and they are among the top rated[br]segments of those newscasts.

0:14:34.938,0:14:38.368
It is true. It is true. Yeah.

0:14:39.626,0:14:44.377
A caution; we are very aware[br]of trivializing news,

0:14:44.388,0:14:47.633
and we are very cautious not to.

0:14:47.634,0:14:51.244
But we are competing with Jon Stewart[br]for goodness' sake.

0:14:51.245,0:14:52.981
(Laughter)

0:14:52.982,0:14:57.450
We are dancing as fast as we can[br]to keep you entertained and informed

0:14:57.450,0:14:59.321
so that you will stick around.

0:15:00.462,0:15:03.849
But you say, "Hey, digital news gives me[br]what I want when I want it,"

0:15:03.850,0:15:07.064
and that is absolutely true, scarily so.

0:15:07.065,0:15:11.018
Your online habits are watched,[br]followed, and fed.

0:15:11.019,0:15:12.683
With each click of the mouse,

0:15:12.683,0:15:17.660
you leave a digital breadcrumb trail[br]so that you can be fed more of the same.

0:15:20.800,0:15:24.610
And social media is contributing[br]to your bias, it really is.

0:15:24.610,0:15:26.869
Since 2009,

0:15:26.869,0:15:32.386
traffic to social media news sites[br]has gone up by 60%.

0:15:33.586,0:15:37.712
A full 70% of people surveyed[br]recently in North America

0:15:37.713,0:15:42.270
said they used social media[br]as a news source.

0:15:42.271,0:15:46.952
I got nothing bad to say[br]about social media, I like it.

0:15:46.953,0:15:49.802
Hey, Twitter is a fantastic tool

0:15:49.802,0:15:53.705
for communicating[br]and for delivering breaking news.

0:15:53.706,0:15:58.275
But if you are using social media[br]as your primary news source,

0:15:58.275,0:16:00.852
you have got to be cautious[br]- because think about it -

0:16:00.853,0:16:04.779
It is your neighbor or the person[br]who works next to you,

0:16:04.780,0:16:07.624
who likes cat videos,[br]they are your news director.

0:16:07.625,0:16:09.531
(Laughter)

0:16:09.532,0:16:10.702
And you know what?

0:16:10.702,0:16:12.506
Your editorial team on Facebook

0:16:12.506,0:16:15.414
is only as good[br]as your friends on Facebook.

0:16:16.304,0:16:18.336
So true.

0:16:18.337,0:16:23.981
And on Twitter, there is no news director.[br]No, there really is not.

0:16:23.982,0:16:27.990
# Competitive. #Sensational.[br]#KimKardashian.

0:16:27.991,0:16:29.356
(Laughter)

0:16:29.357,0:16:31.138
I am only throwing in Kim Kardashian

0:16:31.138,0:16:33.838
because I am hoping[br]that when somebody googles her name,

0:16:33.838,0:16:35.520
this TED talk comes up.

0:16:35.520,0:16:36.882
(Laughter)

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# Shameless.

0:16:38.551,0:16:43.157
You are the subjective news curator[br]of your world, and we know statistically

0:16:43.158,0:16:48.143
that you like to get news [br]from people who think like you do.

0:16:48.144,0:16:49.595
It is a fact.

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And on top of that,[br]being well-informed online

0:16:56.629,0:17:00.361
requires more effort[br]and more discipline on your part.

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You are only going to click on the things[br]that look appealing to you, right?

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Think about it, it is [br]kind of like going to a buffet.

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You are not going to get two salads.

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(Laughter)

0:17:13.396,0:17:17.539
But you know, you see those desserts[br]sitting there, they look pretty good.

0:17:17.540,0:17:19.233
Nobody is watching.

0:17:19.234,0:17:21.077
Take two. What the heck?

0:17:21.078,0:17:22.848
We are human.

0:17:22.848,0:17:25.828
We like pie.

0:17:25.829,0:17:30.359
Our personal preferences feed our biases,

0:17:30.375,0:17:34.190
and our personal content curation[br]supports them.

0:17:35.831,0:17:40.880
By definition and design, digital media[br]gives us more of what we already like.

0:17:40.881,0:17:46.791
You create your own [br]information playlist, if you will.

0:17:46.792,0:17:51.457
It is kind of like, I do not know,[br]like the Songza of news.

0:17:51.458,0:17:55.564
The system feeds you [br]more of what you want.

0:17:55.565,0:18:00.842
It feels good, but how are you ever going[br]to be exposed to something new?

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How are you going to see[br]a different perspective?

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If you keep listening to 8 on the 80s,

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how are you going to hear [br]new music for goodness sake?

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Come on. (Laughter)

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Whether we realize it or not,

0:18:13.290,0:18:18.574
our subconscious bias is driving [br]our news consumption habits,

0:18:19.375,0:18:22.397
and it is keeping us less informed[br]than ever before.

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You know what? We know what happens.

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When our trust in media [br]is at an all-time low,

0:18:33.403,0:18:35.157
it means that our appetite

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to seek out new and more varied[br]variety of news sources diminishes,

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and our biases are strengthened.

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We see that every day.

0:18:46.762,0:18:50.984
You get camps over here,[br]you have got another camp over here.

0:18:51.634,0:18:53.756
These guys are not listening[br]to these guys.

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They do not want to; there is no trust.

0:18:56.894,0:19:00.424
It is all ego-driven, fear-based,

0:19:00.425,0:19:04.045
heels dug-in, no progress.

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We are behaving like children except[br]if we were children we would be punished,

0:19:10.108,0:19:14.531
but in this sense, the people[br]who are behaving this way,

0:19:14.532,0:19:16.406
they get their own TV shows

0:19:16.406,0:19:18.966
or their own constituents, [br]as the case may be.

0:19:21.706,0:19:25.464
As artist and activist Ruben Blades[br]so eloquently put it,

0:19:25.465,0:19:27.178
"We risk becoming

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the best informed society[br]that ever died of ignorance."

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(Applause)

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So how do we achieve the promise[br]of being a truly informed society

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when our own personal biases [br]keep us locked in a feedback loop,

0:19:43.539,0:19:47.070
giving us more and more of the same?

0:19:47.071,0:19:50.509
What would happen if, for example,

0:19:51.800,0:19:56.918
we chose a second or third news source

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outside of our normal consumption habits?

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Well more news diversity[br]would make us better informed,

0:20:06.871,0:20:08.756
would certainly make us sound smarter,

0:20:08.757,0:20:12.676
that comes in handy at weddings,[br]Bar Mitzvahs, TED conferences,

0:20:12.676,0:20:14.257
(Laughter)

0:20:14.258,0:20:18.041
but sounding smart is not the goal.

0:20:18.041,0:20:20.146
That is not what this is all about.

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This is about freedom.

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And the news media[br]is the guardian of our freedom.

0:20:30.953,0:20:35.122
We hold authority to account,[br]you hold us to account.

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You are free to choose[br]whatever news source you like,

0:20:38.934,0:20:42.117
but if you are choosing more[br]of the same, is that freedom?

0:20:42.118,0:20:47.547
Getting news that reinforces[br]your own beliefs feels good,

0:20:47.548,0:20:49.428
but it is a false sense of security

0:20:49.428,0:20:54.393
and one that does not promote[br]greater growth or deeper understanding.

0:20:54.394,0:20:58.007
It certainly does not challenge[br]us to challenge our own views.

0:20:58.008,0:21:01.377
So how do we know if we are getting[br]enough variety in our news diet?

0:21:01.378,0:21:05.672
Well, if everything you are consuming[br]makes you feel great,

0:21:05.672,0:21:08.004
chances are you need[br]to mix it up a little bit.

0:21:08.005,0:21:11.609
And you know what? [br]The news media needs to do its bit too.

0:21:11.610,0:21:17.164
We need to make news more relevant,[br]particularly my branch of the news.

0:21:17.164,0:21:19.084
We need to help people understand

0:21:19.084,0:21:22.112
why a story is important,[br]and how it affects them.

0:21:22.113,0:21:24.260
Anybody can collect facts.

0:21:25.351,0:21:28.382
We need to provide context.

0:21:28.383,0:21:32.876
The old notion of, "Eat it, it's good[br]for you!" just does not work anymore

0:21:32.877,0:21:37.142
when one click away[br]there is something more tantalizing.

0:21:38.102,0:21:42.702
If we lose you, we lose,

0:21:42.702,0:21:45.668
and then we all lose.

0:21:49.888,0:21:55.534
As iconic broadcast journalist[br]Charlie Rose so beautifully put it,

0:21:56.674,0:22:00.916
"We learn from each other, [br]even when we disagree,

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especially when we disagree."

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The more we strengthen

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the virtues of tolerance, [br]diversity, and understanding,

0:22:11.451,0:22:15.069
we will have a bulwark[br]against the hatred and extremism

0:22:15.070,0:22:18.741
that has wreaked[br]so much havoc in this world.

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So I implore you, battle your biases.

0:22:23.103,0:22:27.448
Empower yourself with more diverse news.

0:22:27.449,0:22:33.867
And maybe, just maybe,[br]we will have an informed society,

0:22:33.868,0:22:39.926
a truly informed society,[br]and enter a new age of enlightenment.

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Thank you.

0:22:41.705,0:22:42.788
(Applause)