Information that is not fully true has plagued humans for centuries. Having a free press carries the burden of releasing information, whether it is to inform or persuade. Propaganda has been used by countless governments because no media is free from influence. This then leads to the development of what people consider to be “Fake News”. As citizens we have to keep an eye out and think critically of major headlines and what inspired specific stories on the news. Timothy Egan’s article, “We’re with Stupid”, sheds light on the reality of the public being uneducated, both historically and politically. Our jobs, in order to keep democracy alive and healthy, is to be aware of everything that occurs in the world, put our beliefs aside when interpreting information, and be critical of everything we read and/or listen to. We have failed in this by doing the complete opposite and then blaming our situation on President Trump's administration and the news, instead of ourselves. …show more content…
Not only do we have to know what events are occurring around us, whether they affect us or not, but we have to know what occurred in the past in order to not repeat the mistakes in the future. According to Timothy Egans, “A related concern is historical ignorance”. Historical ignorance is the lack of knowledge of historical matter. This is often used in the context of the Civil War. In a research study conducted by the Pew Research Center, ”48 percent to 38 percent margin Americans think states’ rights, rather than slavery, caused the Civil War”. Awareness of history is sometimes risked because of the long held beliefs of those who interpret the information. Public education is established by each state, resulting in