Only in Israel the police…

In America, everybody is…

Asian businesspeople are…

Etc.

Among other sources, the press form the way we think about other people and about ourselves. People who write and edit the news have the same ideas about other people as we have. Thus, the press strengthens prejudices.

How can we change it?

Since it is very hard for most of us to change the press, we can change how we read the news.

People who have tried changing their "news diet" know that eventually they settle on a different set of news sources that feel comfortable to them.

Again, we choose information sources that will not change our prejudices.

How can we escape from being stuck with comfortable news sources?

I think that randomness might be an answer.

I have developed a very simple tool for myself that I also encourage you to use.

When you click Other News, you will be taken to a random homepage of Google News (only English ones).

Save the link.

Once a day, or when you are bored with what you see and read, return to the link and read how OTHERS write about what happens in THEIR country and how THEY write about what happens in YOUR country.

Every time you visit the link you will be surprised.

Every time you visit the link, you will learn something new.

Every time you visit the link you will have a chance to change your prejudices.

If you have a trouble bookmarking the link above, copy the following address and bookmark it – http://info.org.il/other-news/

If you try getting a new random page and get the same one, try closing the current Google News page and then try again.

Published - September 11, 2011

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About the author: Hanan Cohen is an Israeli internet activist. blog comments powered by Disqus