The news used to be simpler.

Newspapers, radio and TV usually made a clear distinction between objective fact that can be proven and opinion crafted by their writers and producers.

They use terms like editorial, op, ed and commentary to distinguish opinionated content from or objective reporting.

But over the years, the Internet has helped blur the line between fact and opinion in the media.

Now there are virtually limitless sources creating content online, and terms like editorial and op ed have all but faded away.

There's also no vetting process or authority that requires anyone to mention if their online content is fact or opinion, just to be clear.

Opinions air not inherently bad things.

When it comes to reporting the news, they can provide new context or a different perspective.

Opinions have also played an influential part in history, such as when news anchor Walter Cronkite shared his personal views on the Vietnam War in 1968.

Of course, perspectives like that were typically designated as opinion, but these days we seem to have lost some of our ability to detect opinion based material if it isn't properly labeled.

Unfortunately, there are content creators out there who are happy to take advantage of that.

They mix opinions in with a few facts to make the perspective seem more credible.

This helps fire up your emotions and keep you engaged with their content.

At this point, you may be thinking that you could tell the difference between fact and opinion.

Well, it may be harder than it looks.

A Pew Research study created five factual statements and five opinion statements and then asked people to identify which was which.

Out of 5000 adults, Onley, 35% correctly identified all five opinion statements, while only 26% identified all of the factual statements.

That means the vast majority either saw fax as opinions or accepted opinions as fact.

Misinterpretations like these could easily lead to confusion and difficulty in discussing the news with others.

The study also found that people were more likely to view an opinion as fact.

If that opinion matched their existing beliefs, The blurred between fact and opinion likely won't get better anytime soon, so its upto us to spot the difference.

For instance, watch out for statements that may seem factual but are actually opinions that favor a certain perspective And while you may still find terms like editorial, every now and then, don't rely on them to help you distinguish fact from opinion.

Finally, avoid new sources that care Maura about stoking your anger and fears over reporting objective news.

Though it may be difficult, recognizing fact and opinion in the media can make a tremendous impact on how you see the world G c f global creating opportunities for a better life.