Can We Trust Anything Considered 'Mainstream'?

This left to right AllSides Media Bias chart represents their analysis of U.S. news sources.

A growing number of Americans mistrust the so-called "mainstream media" as channels of fake news used to promote the interests of power-hungry politicians and profit-hungry corporations. 

While generalizations like these may contain some truth, they may also serve to confuse, conceal or distort truth. With so many diverse voices form everywhere, how do we determine what is true and what are half truths or outright lies?

A friend of mine recently posted a statement by an eminent physicist in which he questioned most of the conclusions of scientists studying climate change. As someone deeply concerned about the wellbeing of the planet and about a livable future for our grandchildren, I read what he had to say with interest. Are we being misled and overly alarmed by the overwhelming majority of mainstream climatologists who are expressing concerns about our future?

One "truth" we all need to remember is that climate science, like medical science or any other field of study, is never fully "settled" and above being questioned. What scientists do best is test a hypothesis, show their findings, and have later studies either verify or disprove them with better data.

Speaking of medical science, when I tested positive for Covid last year and was treated with a recommended prescription of Paxlovid, I, like most Americans, was putting considerable trust in the latest and best medical science could offer at the time. This in spite of a lot of doubters and naysayers when it came to trusting Covid vaccines or treatments, and in spite of those who believed the whole Covid scare was overblown by a headline-seeking media and a profit-driven pharmaceutical industry.

When it comes to healthcare, I respect those who choose alternative forms of herbal or "natural" medicine, and who question modern medical science, in spite of advancement in inoculations and treatments having contributed to a longer life span and a marked decrease in human suffering and death in the past century. But that doesn't necessarily mean that mainstream medical science, climate science, or any other kind of industry is involved in a malicious conspiracy to defraud and deceive us.