That's a title that can unfortunately apply to almost any event covered by a media outlet, particularly cable news. What brings it to mind in this case is a trivial event that is nevertheless symbolic of the groupthink, lack-of-context media coverage that still dominates American media.

It's the coverage of Barack Obama's bowling score.

I was listening to Obama respond to a local reporter asking him about the perception that he is elitist. His response is great, and worth listening to. One thing he mentioned that surprised me was that the media exaggerated his low score of 37 by leaving out that it was over 5 frames, not 10.

I'm not arguing that he's not as bad of a bowler as he seemed because that just justifies the type of silly thinking that equates orange juice with elitism and bowling prowess with blue-collar character.

But it's a pretty clear example of how the media outlets will filter reality at times, almost in unison, by leaving out or under-reporting details that don't fit "conventional wisdom" or whatever the current story of the week is.

It's what I call "lazy thinking bias", viewing the world in a way that fits your pre-conceived view of it rather than the more difficult task of viewing the world as it really is.

I blame "the media", although the media is really just a reflection of our own nature, albeit amplified and occasionally twisted. Lazy thinking is something that every person suffers from, although some people much more than others.

The only real defenses against it are skepticism and critical thinking. We all have to have a desire to get context by seeking out the original source, to watch the minute before the sound bite on CNN. That goes for Rev. Wright's comments AND John McCain's "100 years longer" comment. (How many of you have seen more than 15 seconds of his answer?)

We have to be especially wary of information that reaffirms our own beliefs. The desire to see what we want to see is the main reason why a ridiculous meme like "Obama\Kerry\Edawrds is an elitist" can take hold.

But to change this desire means having the desire for nuance, the courage to challenge our own views, the patience to look beyond quotes and sound bites and seek out original sources, and the vigilance to monitor oneself for emotional or black-and-white thinking.

That's the only way we will ever truly change the mainstream media, and politics in general. Our institutions are influenced by the people they serve. We demand that our institutions change first, but true change will only come when we take the lead. That's change I can believe in.