Describe the problems with journalists’ default cognitive process and how critical thinking helps alleviate some of those problems.

What will be an ideal response?

According to Holly Stocking and Paget Gross in How Do Journalists Think?, most journalists react to new stimuli by matching them with previously understood categories in their mind. Essentially, the mind becomes a giant filing cabinet, and each new stimulus gets filed under preexisting categories. This process makes it difficult for reporters to take a nuanced view of ideas or events that may conflict with their existing ideologies, and the process makes it more likely that the reporters’ stories will be influenced by unconscious bias. Thinking critically requires journalists to be conscious of the way in which their thought processes lead them towards bias and to take steps to counter those tendencies. This results in a broader understanding of the issues, which in turn helps readers make educated decisions regarding topics that affect them.