Great post. And I love your quotations. Allow me to add one rule:
Rule 0 (Because it should come before your number 1):
Ask the right question OR Ask a meaningful question.

To determine if your question is meaningful, run it through a series of tests:
– Could this question have a definitive answer?
– Could the pursuit of this answer lead to positive outcomes in mine and other’s lives?
– If (when) I discover the answer, will it make a positive difference in mine or others’ lives?
– Does this question have a more important question at its root?
– etc.

I submit that while the search for truch is a noble engagement, it is important that we are thoughtful in the types of truths we seek. Some truths really don’t matter in the eternal perspective of things. We can’t waste our time. . .

I read recently, somewhere, about a survey done of people who do NOT watch any network news, but watch John Stewart and Jay Leno. These watchers of Stewart and Leno took a quiz on current news events and scored much higher than those who do watch CNN and FOX.

My own personal story: I served mission to Germany in 74 to 76. Wanted to keep my language skills sharp, and keep up with current European events. But, back in the 70s, to subscribe to a German newspaper while living in Utah was unthinkable. Then, late 90s I got internet at work. My dream of reading German newspapers became incredibly easy. Each morning I’d scan German headlines. Just harmless fun at first. Then came the lead-up to the Iraq War. Cheney (and all US media, parroting) used rhetoric and fearmongering to claim that Hussein has WMD and will use them against our allies and US. Germany uses sources and logic and claims WMD will never be found.

I told my wife then that I would do an experiment, to find out if German news sources were correct or whether US news sources were correct. But even before the first bombs fell in that “shock and awe” bombing of Baghdad, I was openly proclaiming to family and friends that we were never going to find those WMD Cheney talked about. I feared I might have to eat my words, but I and my German news sources never had to eat any words.

My German friends would email me and ask me pointed questions like why we were torturing people in Abu Ghraib and other black prison sites, and practicing extraordinary rendition. They knew about these events WEEKS before the stories finally came out in the US news.

I started to awaken to our awful situation with the mainstream news media in USA. I found out that what Washington labeled an “intelligence failure” was no failure at all. The lies still persist to this day when they claim “the whole world thought that Saddam had WMD.” No, the whole world knew he DIDN’T have WMD.

I’ve since found out that even German news sources don’t quite tell the whole truth either, but are much more trustworthy than our news.

I’ve also found out that you don’t have to be able to read a foreign language to find the truth about our own country, there are trusted ways to find the truth in the English language. Just don’t look to find these sources of truth on the TV or in the newspapers. Connor has listed a couple of these sources.

So, if the media then is covering up the truth, what else aren’t they telling us? Try googling the 9/11 attacks for starters.

Person A tells me something. I believe it.

Person B tells me something that is in conflict with what person A said. What do I do?

Sometimes, people tend to believe the most recent version, simply because it conflicts with what they had previously heard; they presume that the latest story must be revealing something that was at best undiscovered, or at worst “covered-up”. While this is sometimes the case, it isn’t always so.

It is more important to consider the source. Frankly, that is all that matters in truth-seeking. All sources have bias, and all people have agendas when presenting information.

I won’t opine on the example of WMDs in Iraq, nor will I touch the 9/11 topic. I don’t know a whole lot about either of those things, nor do I wish to argue the facts on those cases. Just making a general statement about the topic.

Connor,
Just have to say that I love your choice of graphics and pictures for your posts.

Connor,

I’m laughing my head off. World Net Daily? Look here: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55642

It is incredible that you think Greenwald is a credible source. He has been caught lying numerous times in the past year. He is not entitled to call anybody else ridiculous.

Connor,

Are you really recommending the World Net Daily for “credible” news? Are you serious? Dude…

Connor,

Sorry, I didn’t make my point clearly. I did not mean to single out one media outlet in particular, and I don’t think that article is necessarily reflective of WND. My point is that every media outlet has an egenda, and the ones that you cite, while better than some, are no better than a lot of others. In particular, I’m troubled that so many at Lew Rockwell seem to be convinced that 9/11 was an inside job.

As to Greenwald, google Greenwald + sock puppet. Although he denies it, the evidence leads back to his IP address.

“independent journalism?” independent of what? the facts?

Funny thing is, though, I just perused WND’s site, and on their front page, they have tons of links to stories from ABCNews, etc. So outside the loonies they allow to opine (like Vox Day), just what “journalistic” stuff does the WND do besides link to real journalists?

I like informationclearinghouse.info

[...] Connor Boyack is a real statesman, and he’w written one of the best articles I have ever read about the problem with the media in this country. Here’s a snippet: I present to you Connor’s five-step program to actually figuring out what is going on in the world: [...]