Society is in a constant battle between truth and fiction - at a time when alternative facts and misinformation seem to be taking up more and more space. The focus is on the question of who ultimately determines what counts as fact. It's about control - control over opinion formation, over knowledge and over what is accepted as “truth” in our society.
Who has the authority to define something as fact? The government? The media? Scientific institutions? Or is it us ourselves – the individual citizens? The answer is complex and often not clear. In principle, facts should be based on observations or research results that are verifiable and repeatable. In reality, however, the definition of what counts as fact often depends on one's perspective.
But what is actually a fact?
A fact is a demonstrably true statement based on real, objective and verifiable events or conditions in the world. In contrast to this are opinions or interpretations. These are subjective and changeable. However, the word “fact” can be used to support a point of view or opinion, to discuss or debate.
At the forefront of this dynamic is the media. They are information brokers. It is your job to present and explain facts. In this context, however, they can – intentionally or unintentionally – express their own orientation. Journalistic standards and ethics demand objectivity and fairness, but these principles can be interpreted differently in practice.
Science should, in theory, be an unwavering source of facts based on rigorous methods and peer review processes to minimize error and bias. But science is not immune to human error and manipulation.
What about us, the consumers of information?
Given these challenges, we bear a great responsibility. It is up to us to strengthen our media literacy, critically question sources and maintain a healthy skepticism towards all the information we consume. In a time where information is easily accessible but also easily manipulated, this is essential.
In addition to the question of who determines the facts, it is important to emphasize the importance of diversity of opinion. It can be problematic to standardize or ban opinions. This restricts freedom of expression and results in us only hearing what we want to hear. Diversity of discussion and representation of a variety of viewpoints are essential to a healthy democracy.
Conclusion
It is a complex and far-reaching question of who determines what counts as fact. Asking this question consciously and critically is more important than ever in an increasingly polarized world.
As a society, we must recognize both the challenges and opportunities presented by this new information environment. We must work to preserve facts and truth.
This might also interest you:
The dark side of freedom of expression: Lies have short legs, but long clicks
Why recognizing fake news is not as complicated as you think
A critical look at alternative media: What you should know
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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )

