Ready To Make Peace With the News Media?
You’re tired of all the conflict. You don’t need anyone to tell you how to think. You just want to know what the heck is going on. I can show you how to navigate the news media with boundaries, accountability, and grace, so you can be your smartest you.
Ever feel like you’re the only one who who’s tired of the endless debate and division? Do you avoid the news because – Ugh! – the endless bickering?! You are a smart, civic-minded person, and you want to know what’s going on, but sometimes it’s just so exhausting trying to filter through the media muck. It’s easier to just let your more informed friends and family tell you when something big is going on in the world.
Does this sound like you?
YOU'RE BUSY
Life can be really overwhelming. Who has time to sift through the headlines for the truth? Especially when different media sources are contradicting each other.
YOU'RE SMART
You don’t need the media to do your thinking for you. You just need accurate information so you can draw your own conclusions.
YOU'RE ANXIOUS
Let’s face it. The world can be a scary place. You want to be informed, but sometimes it’s all just too much. Is it even possible to stay informed without going out of your mind? (Yes! It totally is!)
YOU CARE
You genuinely care about what’s going on in the world, and it’s important for you to be engaged. You want to spend your limited time and energy focused on healing, progress, and positive change.
It can feel really lonely trying to stay informed.
You're not alone
As I educate people on how to filter through all the media noise, I’ve noticed that many people assume they are the only one struggling. We assume that everyone else knows what’s going on. This fuels feelings of shame and denial. We just figure we don’t have the time, patience, and emotional energy that everyone else has to stay informed.
The result is people just check out and wait for our more informed friends to talk about it on social media. This fuels our shame, because we know we should be staying up on all this on our own.
The truth is, there are A LOT of people who feel just like you.
Imagine the Possibility
What if I told you there was a better way?
What if there was a way to be informed in just a few minutes a day without feeling overwhelmed and anxious, regardless of what’s going on in the world. Imagine that you knew how to recognize bias, not just in the news, but within yourself, so you could be confident in your media choices.
You are smart, engaged, and just a few clicks away from being informed!
Your life before Mastering the Media:
- You're frustrated with the constant bickering and debates
- You're hiding from the news
- You wait for your friends and family to tell you when something big is going on
- You feel shame and guilt when you aren't informed
Your life after Mastering the Media:
- You trust your own judgement and stay above the fray of discourse
- You're up-to-date on current events
- You are confident and informed
- You're at peace regardless of what's going on in the world around you
Introducing
Mastering the Media: Navigating the News with Mindfulness
A masterclass on navigating the news media with boundaries, accountability, and grace, with the goal of reducing division and bringing peace of mind.
It is possible to stay informed without succumbing to all the negative energy.
In Mastering the Media, you will learn healthy mindfulness principles and common sense fact checking methods to help you find news that doesn’t trigger you, and you’re going to know how to get out of that state when it you are triggered.
You can be informed and not live in a space of fear.
You can be the smartest, most empowered you.
Let me show you how.
The Curriculum
What You'll Learn in This Online Course
Why the media is crucial to democracy • The business of the media • How to navigate the news with Boundaries, Accountability, and Grace • How to identify bias • How to find reliable news sources • How to fact check news stories, conspiracy theories, and social media posts • How to stay informed without going out of your mind
Module 1
Welcome!
This is your chance to get to know me. We will discuss:
- The goals of the course
- Who I am
- What to expect
- My teaching style
Module 2
A Quick Civics Lesson
Don’t worry. We aren’t going to dive headlong into high school civics. But we must understand a few fundamentals about government and a free press in order to be responsible media consumers. Love it or hate it, we need the media in order be informed, engaged citizens.
This is the most U.S. centric portion of the course. There’s so much other great info for my international friends throughout the course!
- Is the U.S. a democracy or a republic?
- Why is the First Amendment first?
- What is the Fourth Estate?
Module 3
Bias, Editorial, & News
In this section we will define bias, and learn to identify it in ourselves and others. We will also distinguish between news and editorial, which get blurred and confused in our current media framework. We’ll round out the module with some exercises to help you get in touch with your own bias. Here are some highlights:
- The MYTH of unbiased news
- Journalistic values
- Why is it crucial that we identify our own bias in order to be informed?
Module 4
Show Me the Money (And Why Sara Doesn't Like Cable News)
Regardless of the type of media, it doesn’t matter how hard their slogan tries to convince you that they are fair, balanced, trustworthy, reliable, patriotic, or in any way concerned about your welfare. What really matters is their bottom line. I know this sounds really cynical. But I promise, it’s really not.
- The Media is a business
- Why local ownership matters
- Are we an audience, or consumers?
- Is your favorite news anchor a journalist, or an entertainer?
Module 5
Fake News, Propaganda, & Who's Fault Is It, Anyway?
The media is easy to blame. After all, they are the ones fueling these divisions, right? Except, in a free market, the consumer drives profits and products. So, who’s fault is it, again? That’s right. It’s ours.
(This is the part of the course where I slap your wrist. I promise, it’s for your own good. You might even like it!)
- How much of the news is actually FAKE?
- What is propaganda, and how do I identify it?
- What qualifies as mainstream media?
Module 6
Boundaries, Accountability, & Grace
This module is based on something I call Redefining Love, which offers us an opportunity to lovingly set boundaries, love each other from a distance, and hold ourselves and others accountable with grace. This is the mindfulness part of the course (and also my favorite). Here’s what we’ll cover:
- Boundaries for self and others, or... loving from a distance.
- Accountability for self and others
- Grace for self and others
- What the heck does any of this have to do with the news (hint... LOTS!)?
Module 7
Conspiracy Theories
By now you’ll have learned that I’m not interested in pandering to any particular worldview, and I’m skeptical of everything. I see skepticism as a good thing, and I encourage it. But when does it cross a line and become dangerous, not just for society, but for your mental health?
- Healthy vs. unhealthy skepticism
- The 10 traits of a conspiracy theory
- What are conspiracy theories REALLY all about?
Module 8
Scientific Evidence
We tend to be really passive when it comes to “experts.” Slap some credentials behind someone’s name and we’ll believe almost anything! Most of us aren’t scientists, and you don’t need to be in order to determine the reliability of a study. A little knowledge goes a long way. In this module you’ll learn:
- What is the scientific method?
- What does "peer reviewed" mean?
- What are think tanks?
- How do I know a study is reliable?
Module 9
Okay Smarty Pants, Then Where Do I Get My News?
This is where we start getting into the nitty gritty of your news search. In this module, we’ll talk more about mindset, because you guys… If you don’t get your head right, you aren’t going to be able to filter through the muck of the media. Once we chat about mindset, I’ll give my media recommendations.
- My favorite print sources
- My favorite broadcast sources
- What about online news? Let's talk...
Module 10
The Ethics of Profit
The Media is a human institution. Just like all human institutions, the business of the media is flawed. The only power the average citizen has to change this is through how we spend our money. But is this the case for media? Not necessarily. In this module, we will discuss:
- Consumer activism
- What industries are the most immune to consumer activism?
- What's more profitable, news or entertainment?
Module 11
How to Fact Check
This module contains real-world examples of how to analyze news stories and social media posts, to teach you how to apply all the stuff you’ve learned. You will see me fact check the following:
- Right and left leaning news stories on the same topic
- Conspiracy theory
- Several social media posts
Module 12
Conclusion
BOOM! You’re done. You are now a master of the media. No one can pull one over on you now. And all those partisan bickerers? See ya! You’ll know how to rise above, stay solid in what you know to be true, and love ’em from a distance.
- Where will you go from here?
- How will you apply what you've learned?
- How can you stay engaged with the Mastering the Media community?
Enroll NOW in the Mastering the Media masterclass, and you'll and you'll also get 7 Time-Saving Tools for News Without the Drama
Plus, You'll also get
Access to the Mastering the Media community!
facebook group
Access to an expert!
Confused about a news story? Not sure what’s true? When you join the Mastering the Media community, feel free to email me a news story you’d like fact checked. Who knows, you might just see your story highlighted in the weekly newsletter!
discounts and freebies
Every time a new product is launched, members of the Mastering the Media community will get first dibs, freebies, and discounts on all Content Empowered Learning projects. Next up… A full course on Redefining Love.
What people are saying about MASTERING THE MEDIA
Is Mastering the Media for you?
Still not sure whether the Mastering the Media course is worth the investment? You’re so super busy. And you’re so super tired of all the drama all the time. Why should you spend your hard-earned money and your limited free time on this course?
Mastering the Media is perfect for you if:
- Conflict is not your favorite.
- You love self-improvement and are always looking for ways to grow
- You are smart, civic-minded, and truly care about what's going on in the world
- BUT... you find yourself avoiding the news because it's so toxic
- You have strong passions and opinions, but you don't need to be right all the time
- Knowing the truth is more important than validating your worldview
- You've come to dread the inevitably debates about the latest issues at every social gathering
- You believe that we all play a part in healing the divisions in our society
But it is NOT for you if:
- You love a good debate, especially when you feel really justified in your beliefs
- You believe there is only one right way to live, and you're living it
- The only reason you consume news from sources you disagree with is so you are prepared for your next debate
- You value being right more than you value common ground and compromise
- You aren't really interested in hearing what others think unless you agree with it, OR...
- ...You can prove someone else wrong
- You don't know why people get together if they aren't going to discuss the issues
- The world would be a lot better place if everyone was more like you
How it works
Here’s what happens when you buy
Enroll
When you select Enroll Now below, you’ll be asked to create an account with Content Empowered Learning (my online school). Once you’ve logged in, you can purchase the course. Stay logged in so you can hop back in at your convenience.
Check your email!
Once you’ve purchased, watch your email for a link to the Mastering the Media course. You will also get weekly course reminders, as well as helpful tips and advice on how to navigate the news with mindfulness.
Get immediate access
Follow the course link to get started learning! You can pause the course at any time, and complete it on your own schedule. Save the course to your favorites so you can pop back in with ease and pick up right where you left off.
Included with your purchase:
- The complete Mastering the Media: Navigating the News with Mindfulness 12 module course
- Access to private Mastering the Media Facebook group
- News analysis help from a media and boundaries expert
- Discounts on all future Content Empowered Learning Content (save your proof of purchase!)
- Weekly newsletter with insights, tips, inspiration, and expert news analysis
Purchase Price: $49.99*
*I agonized over what to price this course. Hours of research, preparation, heart, and soul went into creating it, not to mention the nearly 20 years of education and experience I put in to get me here. I knew I was doing important, high value work. But I also felt so passionately that people needed this information. I wanted to give it away for free (which I did, for a while). When it came time to sell it, I wanted to price it so it was accessible to the most people. Others suggested $199, $299, and even up to $499, but that high a price would defeat the purpose of creating it – to teach as many people as possible how to navigate the news with less divisive discourse and anxiety. Ultimately, I decided that $49.99 was the best, most accessible price for the most people.
WELCOME TO CONTENT EMPOWERED LEARNING
My name is Sara Beth Wald, but I go by Sara. I’m a content writer in Montana, USA. I’m a former newspaper columnist and social worker with a master’s degree in journalism from Michigan State University. I have worked as a writer, editor, and journalist in the academic, corporate, and print media sectors.
As a former social worker and experiencer of LIFE, I know a thing or two about trauma, mindfulness, and honoring personal boundaries with accountability and grace.
As a media scholar, I know a thing or two about all things news media. I created a media course in response to the takeover of information by bickering talking heads and angry divisive politics. It doesn’t have to be this way! I’d love to show you how!
Still unsure?
Let's see if I can clear up any other questions you have.
Take the course in small, manageable segments. This course is easy to stop and start regardless of where you are at within a module.
This course works great as a podcast. There may be times you want to peak at the screen to see a visual, but for the most part, you can just listen and learn!
Yep! In the first module there’s a link to a materials pdf if you’d like to download, print, and follow along. Everything in the materials pdf is also shown on the slides, though, so if you’d rather save a few trees, it’s not necessary to print the materials in order to know what’s going on.
I’m a mom of two boys, ages 14 and 8. I’ve shared materials and videos with them both throughout the past six months of creating the course. I do say the word “ass” a few times (as in “The First Amendment gives us the right to make asses of ourselves”), and the phrase “bat out of hell,” which made my 8-year-old gasp, so if you’re not okay with your kids hearing those phrases, it might not be for them.
Some of my top fans are from outside the U.S. Module 2 is the most U.S.-focused, and you could get away with skipping it if it just isn’t singing to you. But free speech laws are similar in a lot of democracies, so if you have a free press, even Module 2 might interest you. And be forewarned, if you skip Module 2, there may be a few terms and references you don’t quite follow later in the course.
Contact Mastering the Media
Don’t see your question here?
I love connecting with you and answering your burning questions about Mastering the Media. You can email me directly at sara@sarabethwald.com to get in touch and we’ll reply within 48 business hours.