Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Shared Some Helpful Tips To Avoid Reading ‘Misleading’ Stories Online

Last week, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez replied to a “blatantly misleading tweet” from NBC News, which reported that the congresswoman “did not endorse Joe Biden.” While technically true, this was standard procedure (AOC backed Bernie Sanders) and, as she noted, her remarks were shared “WELL in advance” to the media, including NBC News. “This is completely unacceptable, disappointing, and appalling… @NBC knew what was going to happen & that it was routine,” she wrote, adding that the tweet “sparked an enormous amount of hatred and vitriol, & now the misinfo you created is circulating on other networks.” To reduce the amount of, well, actually fake news (shudder) online, Ocasio-Cortez shared tips “for consuming media and staying informed” on Instagram.

The tips include “don’t rely on only one source,” “get an idea for each outfit’s slant / vibe / perspective / whatever you want to call it (in other words, never trust anything on Breitbart), “identify journalists whose work you respect and trust.” Ocasio-Cortez also noted that “many journalists are not responsible for the headlines above their work,” so even if you don’t like the headline, that doesn’t mean the story isn’t worth reading.

AOC then added a few more quick-hit important tips, like “support local journalism,” “don’t fall down the ‘fake news wormhole but still keep a critical eye,” and (the all-caps emphasis is hers), “PAY FOR A NEWS SUBSCRIPTION (if you can). News outlets that don’t have to chase click ads as much can invest in investigatory journalism.” You can probably get a subscription to your city’s newspaper for around $10/month — use the money you’re not spending on a Quibi membership to support local journalism.

You can find all the tips below.