@Call_Me_Jay Exactly. At some point, we have to rely on the information and expertise of others because we do not have first-hand access to every bit of truth out there. But you can use critical thinking and make judgments as to what’s true and what’s not. One thing you can do is try and find the primary sources that are out there. If people are making claims about a law or a bill, the text of that law or bill is often available to read in its entirety for yourself. If people are saying a certain politician said something egregious and offensive, their entire speech may be out there, so you can hear their statement in context and judge for yourself whether the negative reaction was merited. Obviously this is more work and less satisfying in the short-term than being fed soundbites and the ranting of pundits, but it’s more valuable.
You can also compare information from different sources, see where they align and see where they differ, read the criticisms from those who think these sources are biased or missing information or presenting an incorrect view and judge whether the criticism is valid (does it present better information or is it just bluster?) Nowadays, people seem to want information filtered through a lens of their biases (they want “progressive news”, “conservative news”, they want to be told that what they already believe to be true is true because it’s reassuring and comforting so a lot of stuff is slanted). But that doesn’t mean there’s no truth and we should give up in the face of the overwhelming amount of information online.
I tend to trust sources that go in depth, offer links to primary sources when available, and are free of biased value judgments about politicians and demographics.