Be Careful In 2019

I read car magazines but if I was going to buy a new car, I would do my own research and basically ignore the journalistic opinion. That is because of two reasons. One is what they say is what they think and I may have reasons to disagree. Secondly, I wonder what influence car makers and personal bias have on their conclusions.

As I have delved into car data, I have found that what I read about the industry is usually tainted by spin and misleading presentation, which at times amounts to outright dishonesty. Subjects such as Brexit has taught me to be very wary of what the largely shonky media or car industry has to say about anything. Self interest is everything and everywhere.

On that basis, I feel the more you can educate yourself with the facts, the better. Not all we are told is wrong or inaccurate but unless we know something about the subject, how can we tell the difference? We can't be an expert in everything so one may wonder how they can avoid being mislead. At least develop a cautious approach. If a source has a vested interest, be suspicious. Also, the media want your attention so look at the title of an article and then if the information doesn't line up with the (often overly sensational) headline, be doubtful of their ethics.

We want to be aware of what is going on in the world. We want the truth, not tricked or lied to.

Be careful.