"A lie spreads halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its trousers on". - Winston Churchill
The term "fake news" may have become popular due to the 2016 U.S. presidential election, but the practice of spreading it has been common to man for thousands of years. At this moment in time, the example of Joseph and Potiphar's wife comes to mind. Potiphar's wife was an adulteress, who sought to sleep with Joseph. She aggressively tried to force him to do so, but he was having none of it. So one day, she grabbed him and demanded it, but he ran away. Unfortunately, she still had his clothes in her hand, so she concocted a plan of revenge: Accuse him of attempting to rape her. In his anger, Potiphar had Joseph arrested. But what for? Joseph, as we know, was innocent.
To avoid situations like this, James exhorts us to be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger. Anger and incomplete facts often lead us to the wrong conclusions. When it comes to the mainstream media, the chances are they're trying to evoke an irrational response, but the principle applies to more than just television. Even if your best friend tells you about someone who has upset them, there could always be more to the story, and if you are wise, you will look for it.
In Unknown (2011), a character by the name of Professor Rodney Cole says something rather profound: "Ask enough questions and the one who is lying will eventually change his story". Let us take this advice on board; There are multiple versions of every story. Thus, we should be slow to anger, and when that anger is unavoidable, we should ensure we have a reason for it.