In a world where misinformation spreads faster than the truth, a documentary, “Trust Me – How Do You Know What To Believe,” asks a tough question: Who can we really trust online? The feature-length feature dives into the problems of media consumption, credibility, and how easily the public is polarized by what it sees and hears on social media and the news.
Kevin Shank, the organizer of Media Literacy Week at TCC, shared that this year marked the event’s second anniversary and highlighted its evolution from a simple tabling event to a larger program, thanks to a grant from the TCC Foundation.
Shank emphasized the documentary’s relevance, saying, “This documentary is compelling, and we see elements of ourselves, for me I see it as a parent and educator.” He added that partnering with the Getting Better Foundation and educators in the community brought invaluable support and exposure to the initiative. Shank’s goal is to integrate media literacy into classrooms, making events like these a step toward empowering students to critically evaluate the information they consume.
The documentary, released in 2020, tackles the manipulative effects of media, highlighting cognitive dissonance and confirmation bias – psychological processes that make us vulnerable to false information. Cognitive dissonance describes the discomfort we feel when we encounter conflicting information, while confirmation bias leads us to seek out news that reinforces our existing beliefs. These phenomena lie at the heart of how misinformation spreads and polarizes society.
Produced by the Getting Better Foundation and Wadi Rum Films, with Joe Phelps as executive producer and Oscar-nominated Roko Belic directing, “Trust Me” starts by addressing social media addiction and how it impacts families, especially kids, with bullying and pressures to conform. The stories in the film are familiar and relatable, as they reflect the everyday realities we encounter, while highlighting how effortlessly misinformation can infiltrate our lives.
Shane Voss, head of Mountain Middle School in Colorado, explains that while bullying has always existed, smartphones make it far worse by enabling rumors to spread instantly and widely. He describes it as “adding gasoline to the fire,” highlighting how technology has amplified the reach and impact of bullying, setting the stage for a broader discussion on the pervasive nature of misinformation.
A key theme in “Trust Me” is how misinformation preys on our emotions – our sense of justice, patriotism, and faith. This emotional manipulation can lead to real-world consequences, as seen in the film’s powerful examples. One of the most intense stories is the Covington Catholic High School incident in 2019, involving Nick Sandmann, a high school student filmed facing off with a Native American elder during a march in Washington, D.C. A short, out-of-context video clip spread rapidly across social media, sparking intense outrage as it was portrayed as an act of hostility. Many news outlets and social media users were quick to condemn Sandmann and his peers, but later, additional footage showed a more complex context. The incident reveals how quickly incomplete or misleading information can ignite reactions by mass media, often without a full understanding of the facts.
Similarly, the documentary explores the case of Edgar Welch, who drove from North Carolina to Washington, D.C., armed with a rifle in 2016. He was motivated by a baseless conspiracy theory, widely spread online, suggesting that a local pizza shop was involved in child trafficking. Convinced he was taking righteous action to protect children, Welch entered the restaurant, intending to investigate and intervene. Fortunately, no one was injured, but his actions highlighted how false information can lead individuals to take extreme, sometimes violent, steps under the illusion of moral duty.
Another tragic example is the story of parents influenced by Dr. Andrew Wakefield’s false claims about vaccines, leading them to hesitate in vaccinating their son. The case highlights the wide-reaching consequences that misinformation – especially medically backed misinformation – can have on public health.
So why is it so hard to fix this problem? The documentary suggests that legal protections, such as the First Amendment, allow platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and imitation websites like washingtonpost.com.co (not www.washingtonpost.com) to spread false information without facing significant consequences. This legal gap enables the unchecked proliferation of misinformation, often with serious consequences.
The personal impact of media consumption was brought home by Rosemary Smith, the impact producer of “Trust Me,” who shared in an interview with the TCC Connection newspaper staff how misinformation had personally affected her and her family. For her, this documentary is not just a film – it is a call for greater media literacy and responsibility.
“Trust Me” leaves a lasting impression, emphasizing that each of us can play a role in stopping misinformation by supporting media literacy efforts, especially in schools and universities. The documentary’s closing message is clear: the power to combat misinformation lies with us, but it requires conscious effort.
Tulsa Community College celebrated Media Literacy Week from October 21–25, hosting screenings of the documentary at the Metro and Southeast campuses. If you missed it, TCC has secured streaming rights, so you can watch “Trust Me” via Kanopy on the TCC Library’s video page.
For more insights, visit TCC Connection’s interview with impact producer Rosemary Smith on YouTube: