The UK Column, an independent news outlet, was established in 2006 by Brian Gerrish.
It operates without financial support or external investment, relying solely on contributions from viewers, listeners, and readers through memberships and donations.
Should you trust UK Column?
No.
And that’s according to their website.
Why should I trust the UK Column?
UK Column
Put simply, you shouldn’t. The question of whether or not to trust a news organisation is a false choice.
The idea of trusting a news source is misleading, usually pushed by governments, traditional media, and ‘fact-checkers’.
Consider the similar ‘trust the science‘ narrative.
This approach strips power from the audience, suggesting that if a media source is deemed trustworthy, its information need not be verified.
Pavlov’s dog
The piece referenced in my conversation with Brian is about us all being Pavlov’s dogs.
Pavlov’s Dog is an experiment in classical conditioning, a type of learning in which a neutral stimulus is paired with a stimulus that naturally produces a response, until the neutral stimulus alone produces the response.
In Pavlov’s experiment, dogs were conditioned to salivate in response to a bell.
In society, individuals can be conditioned to respond to certain stimuli or triggers, which can occur through advertising, propaganda, or societal norms. Media plays a pivotal role in conditioning individuals, from television, films, social media, news outlets, and advertising all shaping our understanding of the world.
Patrick Fagan refers to some of it as nudging.
Groupthink is harmful
Groupthink can limit critical thinking and independent judgment, leading to the suppression of dissenting views.
Consider vaccines and the cult-like way in which many promote and defend them.
Mention that you didn’t get the Covid jab (which has killed millions) and observe the Pavlovian response that is almost always triggered.
It’s as if Pavlov’s dogs are everywhere.
